Medical Strings
by Gigglingskull
Summary: On Naruto's birthday something horrible happens to him. But this may be a blessing in disguise. For it leads him down a new path. One with friends, family and the life he always wanted. But will the damage done, be worth it. Author note inside. First story, so be kind.
1. Ch 01 part 1: The Beginning

Author Notes:

Okay. Hi there, this is my first story so be kind. I don't really know what I'm doing so... yeah. Just kind of felt like writing it (and my psychiatrist suggested it). Now before I say any more stupidity, this is going to be about …...Medical-nin and puppeteer Naruto, basically. I like the idea and I love the puppets so very much...

So umm, warnings: I don't own anything and I am taking ideas I like from other stories and putting them in mine. So I will try not to plagiarize, but if I do, it isn't on purpose, honestly. So if any of you out there can say who I got the ideas from just tell me, that way I can give credit where credit is dew. I read so many stories on fanfiction that I don't remember where I stole ideas from.

I rated this M because I'm not sure what I will put in it so you might get anything. I have written a little before (mostly poems) and they usually turn into some dark horror show, but I don't plan on that for this. There will be sexual stuff and some gore, but not to much. I would say more, but I don't want to ruin the surprise (smiles evilly). There is going to be stuff in it that some won't like.

Oh, review please for it helps me create this brain baby and if anyone wants to help beta it, then just message me. I have no one that will do it for me. If you have any suggestions about the story, shoot me a message.

_Thoughts = "Did I leave the stove on?"_

**Demon or Summons** = "**I'M THE DEMON FOX**"

_**Demon or Summons Thoughts**_ = "**_I wonder how I should crush this mortal, maybe a hammer_**"

_**Other voices in head**_ = "_how's it going voice in my head_" "_**Fine, for being a voice in you head**_"

Other languages = "Bob, I'm speaking in German." "I am also speaking in German, Mike."

Medical Strings Ch 01 Part 1

It was a peaceful day in Village Hidden in the Leaves. The civilians were out and about. Shinobi could be seen hopping along the roofs through out the village. In general, life was good and safe for the people of Konohagakure. That is except for a certain blonde whiskered 3 ½ year old child.

He wore a white shirt with the village's symbol on the front and black shorts, both were a little big for him and had seen better days. On his feet there was nothing. When you looked at him, there were certain things that you could tell about him.

One, he was malnourished. It looked like he hadn't seen food for a week, and that happened to be right. The skin clung to the bone and his face, that should have been full of baby fat, had none if any.

Second, he hadn't bathed in a week. His sun kissed blonde hair was practically brown with muck. There was even some twigs and leafs in places. This was made worst because he had been climbing threw trash to locate some food. There was a problem with this besides the fact that a child shouldn't BE dumpster diving, what ever he found made him feel sick. He would get dizzy and throw up, sometimes even black out.

Third, he had insomnia. The dark rings under his eyes spoke of many sleepless nights, the reason being the attacks from people during the night.

And hearing all this you would think that someone would step in and stop this cruelty that has befallen the poor child, but alas none did. No one felt any need to help him because of one fact. One little thing stopped people from helping him for the last week and that being his name, Naruto Uzumaki. Now this would make no sense, unless you were in the village 3½ years ago on the day of his birth. What happen was a tragedy that would effect the lives of every living thing there. That day (October 10) three important things happened. The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox attacked, the village leader (Minato Namikaze the Fourth Hokage) sacrificed himself to defeat the Kyuubi no Kitsune and the demon was sealed into Naruto. That is why all of this happen.

=========================Hokage Tower, 3 ½ years ago.=========================

Sarutobi stood atop the Hokage Tower looking over the village that he beloved so much. He was an old man with gray hair, a goatee and wearing red and white robs with the symbol for fire shadow on the back. On his head he had the Hokage's hat. It looks similar to the bamboo hats that patty farmers wear. It was predominantly red with a white square in the front. Within that square was the symbol for fire.

Normally the view of his village would fill Sarutobi's heart with warmth, but not today. It was the day after the Kyuubi attack.

He had called a village meeting to announce what had happen. All the citizens of Konoha looked to him for guidance during this tragedy. He was going to tell them about the Fox being sealed into Naruto. It wasn't exactly what he wanted to do but it was Minato's dieing wish that the boy be seen as a hero. He didn't think it would work out that way, but he began anyway.

"People of Konoha. We have been hit with many losses when the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox attack our village yesterday. But we are the people of Fire Country, the Will of Fire burns within us and we will rebuild and prosper."

Cheers could be heard all across the village. It was deafening. Sarutobi was proud of his people at this moment, it looked like their Will of Fire truly did burn strongly. Now that they were in good hopes, it was time to drop a bomb on them. "_This could go good or bad. In most likeliness bad, but what the hell, Minato trusted them to see the scroll and not the kunai sealed in it. Please Kami, let this work._"

"Now I want you all to know how the Fourth defeated the Demon. The Kyuubi is immortal, meaning the Fourth couldn't kill the great beast." This was where gasps could be heard. Civilians were scared out of their minds, but the shinobi knew to trust their Hokage. Except for one chūnin name Tetsuya Itami, he fainted.

He wore the standard chunin uniform. The long sleeve shirt, pants, and shinobi sandals were dark blue. On top of this was a green flak jacket. On the front of the jacket were six scroll pouches, three on each side of the chest. It had a neck guard and extra padding over the shoulders. His hair was brown and in a crew cut. He had a beard that had a tiny tint of red in it that was about the same length as the hair on his head. He also had one of those faces that were had to remember.

It wasn't that Tetsuya didn't trust the Third or Fourth, he was just so scared of the Fox. As he was falling and darkness creeping into his view, one thought went through his mind "_No one is ever going to let me live this down_."

There was a pause at the awkward situation of Tetsuya crumbled face down on the grown. Even Sarutobi stopped at this. "_Poor Tetsuya. . . Why did I make him a chunin again?_"

"Aw...Anyway. The beast couldn't be killed, it had to be sealed. And it couldn't be sealed into just anything. If it was sealed into an item it would break out. An animal would not have the mentality to control the demon. That meant that it had to be sealed into a human. A grown adult would never survive the sealing. Their chakra circulatory system would not be flexible enough to contain the beast's eminence chakra" (At this point, it clicked in the shinobis' minds, but the civilians' were still in the dark) "but a newborn's is. The mighty Kyuubi was sealed into Naruto Uzumaki. It is Minato Namikaze's last wish that he be seen as a hero for saving us all and the sacrifice that he has made."

This had the effect of silencing the crowd, but Sarutobi could feel the tension saturate the air. He was just about to continue speaking to reassure them that the demon couldn't break out when someone interrupted him. This person (civilian) said something that ruined his plan.

"Kill the beast!" This was the single spark that started the fire. More shouts that called for the "demon child's" execution were made after this. A riot would have broken out if Sarutobi's ANBU didn't step in and control the situation. "_Crap, crap, crap. Stupid civilian. Note to self, have that guy killed later. OK Sarutobi, it's time to show them why they call you the God of Shinobi._"

Now leaking as much KI (killing intent) as he could, the Third shouted "SILENCE." This got an immediate response.

The civilians had a few different reactions to this. All of them were scared, where did the kind grandfather figure go some thought. All they wanted to do was finish what the Fourth started. Surely he would want the child killed to finish off the beast. (They know nothing about Minato, if they dare think this). Some of the weaker ones released their bowels.

On the other hand shinobi stood at attention, except that is Tetsuya of course. He was still unconscious and because of that he was unprepared for the KI, which sadly to say resulted in him pissing himself. So just to be clear he was face down on the ground and now he was cover in piss. (Yes he will NEVER live this down.)

"THAT IS ENOUGHT! As of now I am making the sealing a S rank secret. No one is to speak about it. If you mention the demon being sealed into Naruto, you will be executed. This is the Hokage's law."

Sarutobi didn't wait for a response from the crowd, he turned around and head back to his office. When walking pass his secretary's desk, he noticed that she wasn't there. This was strange because she was always there working. Deciding to let this pass for the time being he walked into his office. The sight that met him was a surprising one. He had asked his top 2 ANBU captains (Dog and Weasel) to watch Naruto. They wore the standard uniform of the Anbu, which consisted of black and gray armor, a porcelain animal mask and a sword. All Anbu's code-names matched their masks. So Dog's mask was of a dog and Weasel's was of a weasel. Dog's mask had a three black claw marks over the left eye, making it look like he was slashed across the face. Weasel's mask had a black line straight down the middle and had red rings around his eyes.

They are Sarutobi's most trusted and loyal shinobi. They may be a little young to be in the ANBU for his wishes, but their track record was perfect. They always got the job done. So imagine to his surprise that these 2 were playing and making baby noises with the blond baby. So focused on the baby, they hadn't even noticed Sarutobi as he pulled out a camera and quickly snaps a picture. "_Blackmail,_" thought Sarutobi.

Still oblivious to his presence, Sarutobi let out a chuckle. At the sound the 2 freeze and all that could be heard was the sound of Naruto's goos. "I'm glad you three are having fun," Sarutobi said after a moment.

"Um, yeah. . . We can explain?" Dog tried to think of an exploration, but the two of them just wanted to play with their senseis' son.

Dog (Kakashi Hatake) was trained by Minato Namikaze. The bond between these two was strong. Kakashi was seen as a prodigy since a young age. He even became a chunin at the age of 6 and a jōnin at 13. This was great and all, but only served to separate him from other children his age. Both of his parents were dead. Mother died when he was very young, he couldn't even remember her very well. His father was Sakumo Hatake. The White Fang of Konoha is what they called him. He idealized the man. But a few years after Kakashi's 7 birthday, Sakumo fell into disgrace and shortly after committed suicide. This left him very much alone in life. That is until he got a team to be on. Obito Uchiha and Rin Inuzuka. Their sensei and team leader was Minato Namikaze. At first it was a little rough around the edges, but Minato took the three under his wing. For you see the four of them were all misfits. Kakashi for being the White Fang's son. The disgrace of his father's suicide would follow him where ever he went. Obito was looked down upon and shunned by his clan, the Uchiha, because he could never awaken his clan's Kekkei Genkai, the Sharingan. For the Uchiha believed that a clan member had to have the Sharingan to be useful to the clan. Rin was an Inuzuka that was unable to find and bond with a dog. That was what their whole fighting style was based on. Now they didn't shun her like the Uchiha did with Obito, but they still pitied her. It was a sore spot for her. And finally there was Minato. He grew up an orphan and always wanted a family. So the four of them sorta formed their own little family. The three students could be seen going out to launch with their sensei every day. Minato even brought them home for dinner and to introduce them to his girlfriend, Kushina Uzumaki. They were some of the only ones to know that he married Kushina or that she was pregnant. (They had to keep these things secret because they both made many enemies during the Third Shinobi War and they were afraid that enemies would come after a pregnant Kushina or the baby). Then tragedy struck. During a mission events happened that left Rin MIA (missing in action), Obito dead, and Kakashi with Obito's left Sharingan eye. Minato and Kushina took Kakashi in during this time. This just strengthened the bond between sensei and student.

Now Weasel (Itachi Uchiha) had just as strong as a bond with Kushina. Itachi was hailed as a prodigy too. His father would even say several times, " The family's future lies in Itachi." He too like Kakashi quickly rose up the ranks. Graduated at the top of his class at 7, mastered the Sharingan at 8, became a chunin at 10, and then an Anbu captain at 13. Throughout all of this he was alone in a sense. Family, friends, or teachers could never understand him. He was a pacifist, unlike the rest of the Uchiha (except Obito), who were head strong and arrogant. It was just after his 11th birthday that he met Kushina.

* * *

-Flashback no Jutsu-

* * *

Kushina was at a training field (the one Itachi usually used) training with her katana. She was a master with it on the battle field, so quick she could take out a platoon of Jōnins in a matter of moments. And it showed with the way she moved and took out the practice targets. Kushina was well-known not just for her skills, but her beauty also. She had a slender, but feminine build with just the right amount of curves. Her eyes were a violet-blue and her hair was a bright red. She wore a greyish blue high-collared dress. It was also sleeveless and loose-fitting. Over this she wore a green apron. On her left wrist she place a black band and on her feet were standard shinobi sandals.

Itachi approached without using any stealth at all. "_Don't want to startle her. Might get my head cut off_." He even stepped on a fallen branch. It snapped and alerted Kushina that someone was there.

"Hello Uzumaki-san. I don't mean to interrupt your training, but this is the field I usually use," Itachi said as he walked out of some bushes into the open.

"Sorry about that," Kushina replied with a smile on her face that radiated happiness. It took her beauty to a completely different level. So much so that it stunned Itachi for a moment.

"And please don't call me Uzumaki-san, it makes me feel old. Itachi-kun," she said the last part playfully.

"Alright Kushina-san," Itachi replied. He couldn't help the small smirk that came to his face as he heard her grumble something about "not any better."

"_Ooh, he has a ninjato. I wonder if he is any good with it,_" thought Kushina. Yes, Itachi had a ninjato on his back. It was a present from his mother for making chunin and he had been training with it since.

"Well since I took your usually training ground how about I make it up to you. My katana verses your ninjato. It has been such a long time since I sparred against someone with swords. What ya say?" said Kushina.

Now Itachi would have been a fool to say no. It would be a great test of his kenjutsu against a master. _"And I could learn a thing or 2 from her._"

"It would be my honor, Kushina-chan," Itachi said with a smirk, which she returned.

* * *

-Flashback End no Jutsu-

* * *

To say that Kushina beat Itachi would be an understatement. She moped the floor with him that day. From there they setup more spars, which lead to Kushina just becoming his sensei. So she decided to do what Minato did with his students (She was a little jealous that he had his own brats and she didn't). She didn't take him to lunch, that seemed to much like a date to her. But she did bring him home to meet her boyfriend Minato. Eventually Itachi opened up to her about his issues with relating to his family. How he hated that his father favored him over his little brother Sasuke. Hell, he was there when Minato and Kushina told Obito, Rin, and Kakashi about them getting married and Kushina being pregnant.

"No need to explain gentlemen. I understand perfectly and you two can take off your masks it's just us," Sarutobi said as he walked around his desk to sit in his chair. As he was sitting, they removed their masks.

When Kakashi removed his dog mask, it revealed a face wrapped up in bandages. His whole face was covered, the only part that wasn't was his right eye and ear. His gray hair stuck up as if defying gravity.

Now when Itachi took off his weasel mask, he had an almost opposite look to Kakashi. His face wasn't covered by anything. His black hair went down, almost to his shoulders, and framed his face.

"Do one of you mind handing Naruto to me?" Sarutobi asked. At hearing this, Itachi plucked the baby out of Kakashi hands and hand him to the old man.

"Here you go Hokage-sama," replied Itachi as Kakashi pouted slightly behind his bandages. He had been enjoying playing with the baby.

The face that Sarutobi made when he held the small ball of sunshine was that of a man holding their grandchild for the first time. It actually warmed the hearts of the 2 in front of him, to see the happy scene.

Sarutobi loved it when children were this old. So small, everything new to them. He enjoyed taking care of Asuma, his son, when he was a baby. Then thoughts of what had happen started to enter his mind. The attack, Minota's sacrifice, and Kushina's death. She had been weakened from complications during birth and the demonic charka didn't help. They hadn't found a body yet because the hospital that she was in got crushed by the Fox's rampage.

Just then a gurgle drew Sarutobi's thoughts to the bundle in his hands and a sad smile formed on his face. "_Damn you Minato. Why couldn't you let me preform the Shiki Fūjin. I'm an old man, I had a good life. If I did it then you would be here with your son and he would have a parent. Because I know his life is going to be full of hardships._"

As Sarutobi was looking at the boy, he noticed something on his face. "_Are those whiskers? He didn't have those when I left._"

"What happen to Naruto..." then a thought popped into his head and it clicked "and where is my secretary?" The tone of his voice said I think I know what happen and if it did you better have taken care of it. Hurrying to answer, Kakashi started.

"Hokage-sama, we had to execute her. When Naruto was crying, she came into the office. We were hidden in the shadows."

What Kakashi left out was that they had been playing with him, when Naruto needed to be changed. Kakashi had turned to Itachi and using silent code he asked

(This is Kakashi then Itachi and back again. Also they are basically using sign-language.)

"Do you know how to change a diaper?"

"No"

"Don't you have a little brother?"

"Yes, and a mother who did that."

"Do you want to wait and see if the Hokage's secretary will do it?"

"Yes."

They may be Anbu, but seriously, who wants to change a diaper. Well that decision would haunt them for the rest of their lives.

Itachi spoke next. "Watching her reach into the crib, we could tell something was off from the tension in her muscles, but I was not sure as to what. Apparently she got her hands on a scalpel and decided to mark the demon as such. This caused Naruto to start wailing uncontrollably. Before she could make another strike to Naruto, we intercepted. Kakashi went to check on Naruto as I grabbed her and shunshinned to the another room, where I dealt with her." The tone Itachi use for the last part told Sarutobi that she was dead. "_Now I need a new secretary._"

"While that does explain where my secretary went, it doesn't really explain the whisper marks," Sarutobi said as he examined the markings. There were 6 of the thin black lines, 3 evenly placed on each cheek."They're too smooth and there's no blood. It's almost like they're birthmarks."

"I belief it was the Kyuubi," Kakashi said slightly nerves. He fully believed in Minato, but this is the lord of demons we're talking about here. "As I was inspecting the wounds, red charka started to surround them, causing Naruto to start wailing even louder. It was only a few seconds, then it was gone, leaving the marks behind. I didn't really think about it at the time, Lord Hokage. Naruto was so distraught over what happen that I was afraid he was going to hyperventilate and go into shock, so I focused on calming him down. Now that the action is over I think the beast was marking him."

"I think it makes Naru-kun look cute." Both men turned and looked at Itachi like he had two heads. That was the last thing anyone would think of Itachi saying.

"Well you could sa..'' Sarutobi was saying until he was interrupted by a knock at the door. He gave a quick look to Itachi and Kakashi to see them with their masks on again. "Enter."

"Sorry L-lord Hokage-sama to d-disturb you, but the c-c-counil has called a meet-ting and you are n-needed r-right now," the nervous chunin stammered.

"I'll be right there." And will that the chunin left. "Dog you come with me, but stay hidden within the shadows. Weasel you stay and watch Naruto. Let nothing happen to him." Sarutobi left with Kakashi, leaving Itachi behind with Naruto.

As he was walking down the hall, Sarutobi thought "_Now I wonder what this meeting could be about? Oh wait that's right,__ Naruto. Everything has revolved around him recently. Well I just hope this turns out well._" He stopped in front of 2 huge doors that lead to the council room. He pushed them open not caring if he interrupted anything, not that it mattered because all talking stopped at his entrance.

As Sarutobi made his way to his spot, he couldn't help noticing the layout of the room. The room was circular with no windows. There was only one huge desk that curved around the room. It was also elevated. Now if someone was to stand in the middle of the room, they would have to look up to meet the faces' of the council members that surrounded them.

The Hokage, Sarutobi, took his seat in the middle of the desk. To his left, Homura Mitokado, and right, Koharu Utatane, the village elders. The three had been teammates back in the day.

Homura wore robes very similar to Sarutobi. The only difference being that he didn't were a hat and the colors. His were a very pale yellow on top of a dark blue. He has a strong jawline and a look about his face that implied it was easier for him to frown then smile. His hair was gray, slicked back and spiky. He had a full gray bread and green oval glasses.

Koharu wore a light gray simple kimono closed with a pale red obi. Over this was a long pale greenish gray jacket with a white sash. Her gray hair was pulled back into a bun and held in place by a long hair needle with three red peals hanging off of one end and a tassel on the other. Hanging from each of her ears were four pearls. They hung strait down, first two green ones, then a red and finally another green one. Koharu always squinted, barely opening her eyes at any point in time.

Now, on their left would be the civilian members. They consisted of merchants, traders, property owners and other voted in members. The "leader" of the civilians was retired shinobi Danzō Shimura. His retirement was not by chose, he had received injuries which resulted in him being unable to continue his career. He wore a long sleeve white shirt. Over this was a black robe that covered his feet, wrapped around his right shoulder and held his arm as if it was in a sling. Around his waist was tied a purple cloth. His hair was black and shaggy. On his chin was a x-shaped scar. His right eye and ear were covered with bandages and he needed a cane to walk.

Now on the other side, to the right of the Hokage and elders, were the Shinobi members. These would be the leaders of major clans in Konoha.

Closest to the Hokage and elders was Hiashi, leader of the Hyūga Clan. The man wore loose fitting white traditional robes with a cloak over it. When looking at him, his eyes would appear to be featureless. This gave him the look as if he was blind, but he wasn't, it was just the physical traits of his Clan's Kekkei Genkai, the Byakugan.

To Hiashi's right was a feral looking woman. She had wild spiky brown hair, that refused to be controlled. Her eyes were slitted, giving them an animalistic appearance. And this look was further enhanced by elongated canine teeth and nails. On her cheeks were her clan markings, dark red triangles curved to look like fangs. Similar markings were around her eyes that enhanced their shaping, almost like eye liner. Her lips were covered in a dark shade of purple. She was wearing the standard outfit of a Konoha shinobi. This consisted of a dark blue shirt and pants. On the side of the shoulders was a red circle with a thin black swirl. Over this was a light pale green vest that was loaded with pockets. On the back of this was another swirl mark. On her feet were the standard open toe shinobi sandals. This was Tsume, head of the Inuzuka clan. Next to her was a large wolfish canine. His fur was a dark greyish blue. His left ear and right eye were missing. He had a black eye-patch. This was Tsume's partner, Kuromaru.

Then there were three man known as Team Ino-Shika-Chō. They were famous all over the elemental nations for their teamwork.

First was Inoichi, head of the Yamanaka clan. The "Ino" in Ino-Shika-Chō came from him. He had long pale blonde hair. It was spiky at the top and had a long ponytail that went down to the middle of his back. He has a well defined jaw line and blue-green eyes. His outfit included the standard flak jacket over a black outfit and on top of that he wore a sleeveless red coat. For armor, he wore guards on his arms. They cover everything from below the elbow and had a plate on the top of his hands. He also wore the standard forehead protector which had the village symbol on it, called a hitai-ate.

The man next to him is where the "Shika" came from, Shikaku, head of the Nara clan. The first thing that you would notice about him were the 2 scars on his face. Both were on the right side of his face and thin, almost veiny in appearance. One covered his cheek. It went from the bottom of his jaw to a couple of inches bellow the end of his eye, almost touching his nose. The second one went from his temple to the middle of his forehead. His hair was done in a way that strangely looked like a pineapple. A goatee occupied his chin. He also had earrings. He wore a flak jacket with a meshed shirt underneath. On top of this he were a deer skin coat. The thing about this coat was that it looked like he got it out of the trash. It was raggedy and had what looked like stains.

To Shikaku's right, was the last member of the Ino-Shika-Chō. He was Choza, head of the Akimichi clan. He was a large heavy set men. His hair was a red mane like a lion. Like all his clan members, he had markings on his cheeks. They vary from member to member. His were purple and looked like tentacles. They went from below the jaw line to beneath his eye. He wore a black outfit with armor, the chest plate having the symbol for food. He wore a rope for a belt and arm guards similar to Inoichi. Instead of wearing the standard hitai-ate, he had a white piece of cloth tie around his head.

The next clan head was Shibi Aburame. He wore dark glasses that completely obscured his eyes from view. From the left side of the glasses, hung a single golden tassel. He wore a gray coat that had a high collar. This hid everything below his nose. His hair was black and spiky. He also had a mustache. On his back was a gourd. He was usually very quiet, except for a whispering buzz that could be heard from time to time around him.

The last member of the shinobi council was sitting on the end. He was Fugaku, head of the Uchiha clan. His clan was wielders of the Sharingan. Their clan symbol was a circular fan. It was basically a circle with a handle, with the handle pointing down. The fan was cut in half with a slight gap, that left a crescent moon shape and a shape that completed the circle/fan. The moon was red and the other piece white. Now on top of being head of major shinobi clan, with a Kekkei Genkai, he was captain of the Konoha Military Police Force. They were mostly populated by Uchihas. Very few shinobi outside of the clan ever joined them. Hell, the symbol of the KMPF was a shuriken (the points pointing north, south, west and east, like on a compos) with the Uchiha symbol in the middle.

Now, it may seem strange that there was a police force and Anbu in the village, but that would be explained with a few things. They were quoted as "Elite shinobi who monitored fellow shinobi." The job of the Konoha Military Police was to maintain the law in the village. This didn't just include shinobi, but civilians too. If something was stolen, go to them. If someone vandalized something, go to them. They were basically just the police. Now the Anbu on the other hand, were lead directly by the Hokage. They were his police and enforce his laws. So the Konoha Military Police would need a warrant and evidence that left nothing to doubt to arrest any members of the Anbu.

Anyways, back to Fugaku. He had black hair and onyx eyes, like the rest of his clan. His face was usually set in a stern look. It was a look that said that he "knew" he was better then you. Yes, he was very arrogant and stubborn. He wasn't really a pleasant person. He wore the standard flak jacket, with a black long sleeve shirt underneath that had the Konoha Military Police Force symbol on the shoulders. On his waist, he wore what looked like a backwards black apron with white diamond pattern on the bottom.

As Sarutobi finished observing the room and saw that all members were gathered, he thought "_Calling a meeting and getting the Hokage last, that is just rude. I have to see what they want. It's going to be Naruto, I just know it. I shouldn't have a problem from most of the shinobi, but the civilians will be._"

"Okay. Why did you call a meeting?" Sarutobi ask with a I-have-better-things-to-do tone. And he did. He had to organize rebuilding the village and more importantly (to him) find a place for Naruto.

"We called this meeting to discuss what is to be done with the demon child, Hokage-sama." This was said by some civilian with pink hair. She was Urusai Haruno. Her voice was infamous for being loud and screechy. Some of the shinobi even thought about how it could easily become a jutsu in the hands of a shinobi. It would debilitate anyone with sensitive ears. But this wasn't important right now. No, the fact was that this was the absolute wrong thing to say to Sarutobi.

He quickly gave some silent signals to Kakashi. The Anbu captain quickly threw a kunai, from his hidden spot. It sailed across the room and struck Urusai across the cheek. It quickly silenced the room.

"_Oh no. My face will be scared,_" thought the pink haired woman.

The way that Kakashi threw the kunai made it so a scratch is the only thing she got. It wouldn't even leave a mark when it healed.

The action still shocked the civilians, you could simply tell by the looks on their faces. The thoughts running around their heads were along the lines "_What the fuck?! Shinobi are here to protect us. They aren't allowed to hurt us._"

The shinobi, on the other hand, you couldn't. They had been trained to hide their emotions. Their game faces were on, but it was clear that they didn't really care about what just happen.

"Now I want to make this clear. NO ONE is allowed to refer to Naruto as the demon. Do you hear me?" This was followed by many nods and "Hai"s around the room.

"Hokage-sama, please forgive the rudeness in which the question was phrased, but the question still need to be answered. What is going to be done with Naruto?" asked the royal voice of Hiashi Hyūga. He had seen the sealing along with everyone else. Now Hyugas were famous for their Byakugan, "The All Seeing White Eye", so they pried themselves on their ability of observation. And It was clear to Hiashi that Naruto was Minato's son. "_He looks like a baby Minato. It's kind of freaky that no one noticed this._"

"Yeah, what is going to happen to the pup?" shouted Tsume with a caring tone. She knew exactly who's child Naruto was. She could smell it from his sent. "_He smells like a mixture of Kushina-bitch and Minato-kun._" Kushina and Tsume had been rivals since they were young. They competed over everything. They fought over who had the best accuracy with kunai and shuriken. They constantly challenged each other to spars. They even competed over the same boy. Of course Kushina won the last one, but they became best friends with a strong bond. "_Hell. There was even that one time on that mission that we got even closer. We had so much saki, it wasn't even funny. But still, it was the best time of my life. I wanted to do it again, with her. I bet I could of even gotten the both of them in bed. Hi hi hi." _As Tsume was temperately lost in memories of good times / fantasy, no one noticed the blush that lighted her face or even the quiet perverted giggle she made.

"I was planing on having him stay with me," Sarutobi said as he thought "_Please kami, let something go Naruto's way for once today._"

"I'm sorry Sarutobi, but that can't happen," came the voice of Koharu. Sarutobi turned to face her and gave a look that clearly said "why." The answer came from his left.

"Koharu is right. You have a duty to the village and wouldn't have time to raise a child," answered the other elder, Homura.

"Then what should we do?" replied the Hokage.

As this was being said, a fat man was getting ready to shout out a reply. He was Futoi Ahondara, a wealthy food supplier. He owned quit a few stores around the village. But unfortunately the Kyuubi had completely destroyed all of his stores, except one and it was only half destroyed. So he had an ax to grind against the Demon Fox and the child that now held it.

"I believe we should execute the tittle d...darling." The last part sounded like it was stuttered out, but it was just Futoi catching himself before he called Naruto a demon. The Hokage knew this, along with all the shinobi, but he couldn't do anything to the man.

Now the rest of the civilians agreed with this. You could tell from the shouts for execution. This horrified the shinobi, but for all different reasons. Some wanted to make the child into a weapon, some know who his parents were and others just saw a child.

"NO," shouted Sarutobi. Releasing as much KI as his old body could produce he continue "I will not let Minato's legacy be executed, no matter what, is that understood." This stopped the civilians.

"How about you hand over the boy to me," said the old war hawk, Danzō. He may be officially retired, but that didn't mean he stopped with his shinobi ways. "The power he holds will be useful to the village if he is trained."

"No. Naruto will not be turned into an emotionless weapon," Sarutobi said. "_Minato and Kushina would come back from the graves and beat the living hell out of me if that happened. Stupid war hawk. You're so useful during times of war, gaining all the power you can, but during peace, it's impossible to get that power away from you. As a side note, I have to deal with that "secret" Root program you have going._"

"You should let me and the Konoha Military Police Force handle the boy. Being the captain of the force, I can have an officer watch him at anytime," said Fugaku. "_And I can make him into a weapon to help with the rebellion against you, old fool._"

"Okay, if we went with that, where would you keep Naruto?" asked Sarutobi.

"He would have to be kept …. safe, so the police station would be the best place," replied Fugaku. "_That would also make it easy to train him._"

"_So he would be in a jail cell,_" thought Sarutobi as he said "No. I think a child should be somewhere kinder then a police station."

"Troublesome. Is there anyone that could take him in and raise him as their own. I, Inoichi, and Choza can't, we just had kids ourselves," droned Shikaku tiredly with Inoichi and Choza nodding their heads in agreement. The three did become dads in the last 2 months. They actually had it planned that way so that the children could attend the academy together.

Now the question that Shikaku posed was a good one and made Sarutobi think. "_Is anyone here able to raise Naruto? __Myself, Danzō, Fugaku, __Shikaku, Inoichi and Choza have all been knocked out of the running. That leaves just Homura, Koharu, Tsume, Hiashi and Shibi. Now Koharu and Homura can be taken off the list. They will be just as busy as me. I wonder if one of the remaining three can do it._"

As the Hokage was thinking, so were the three shinobi.

The expression on Hiashi's face didn't change as he thought "_I wish I could take the boy in but I can't. The Hyūga Clan elders would never stand for it. They would either have him killed or branded a slave._"

Tsume wasn't thinking about it, she was discussing it with Kuromaru. (Basically they are talking in dog language.)

"Kuromaru, I want to take the pup in. What do you think?" Tsume said to her partner.

"Well, Tsume-san, I think it would be a bad idea. The oth...," before he could finish Tsume interrupted yelling.

"What the hell do you mean it would be a bad fucking idea. The pup is going to be by himself and probably attacked by the stupid villagers. He needs a strong guardian. He needs … " As Tsume started to get into a rant, Kuromaru decided to give her a quick nip on the hand to stop his master. With a quiet "ouch" and a look that said "what the fuck?", Tsume turned her full attention back to the canine beside her.

"If you had let me finished, I would have said that the other members of our pack would not feel comfortable with him. From the little time I was near him after the sealing, I could sense the beast in him and it put me on edge. I don't think the others would be able to handle it forever and eventually the pup would be attacked. I'm sorry. I too could smell his parents on him." He gave her a apologetic look as they both came to the same conclusion, they couldn't take him.

Now with Shibi, he was thinking along the same lines. "_He can't be accepted into the Clan. With the unique ability of the Aburame, the clan would be on edge by the beast inside him._"

It was quiet during the shinobi's thinking. This was taken as a "no" to Shikaku's question by Sarutobi. This was a little upsetting to the old man, but he accepted it. The silence may have had this effect on Sarutobi, but to another individual it was building his rage.

Futoi Ahondara was still upset about his commercial enterprise. "_Why is the hokage making such a fuss about the brat, he should just have him kill. Stupid beast fucked up my life._" His rage was climbing with every thought. "_I will never recover from this._" He was starting to shake. "_I'm going to go bankrupt from this and it's all that demon's fault._" At this point his rage had reached its boiling point. He stood up and slammed his hands on the table in front of him.

Shouting "What is the matter with you all", Futoi glared heatedly at the people gathered. He gestured with his hands towards all the members. "Are you all stupid? How can all of you sit here and discuss what to do with that thing, when it is clear that it needs to be killed." He then pointed at the Hokage with his right hand. "And you. You old senile fool, how can you protect that demon. I say that w..."

It was at this point that the room fell silent. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. It was broken by a thud sound, that was quickly followed by screaming. This would seem strange until you realized what that thud sound was. It was Futoi's right arm and the screaming was him. The civilians went into a panic over what happen. The shinobi knew what happened. It was Kakashi, he cut off Futoi's right arm with his ninjato. He didn't need the Hokage to tell him to act. The man broke the third's law by calling Naruto a demon and he insulted the Hokage. You just don't do that.

As Futoi was screaming and gushing blood, the hokage reached a decision. "I have decided what to do with Naruto. He shall be put up in the orphanage with an Anbu guard." And with that he got up to leave. As Sarutobi was walking by Futoi, he said, "Someone clean up this mess and take him to the hospital …." he paused for a minute and then continued " and I don't want his arm reattached. That can be his punishment. You should feel lucky Futoi, the normal punishment would be death." With that said, he exited the room with Kakashi following in the shadows.

As Sarutobi was walking back to his office he thought about Naruto. "_I hate that I have to do this, but I have no option. Damn it, at least I got him a guard._"

As Sarutobi entered his office, he saw that Naruto was in his crib. Sarutobi walked over and picked up the happy baby. He sat behind his desk and started to coo and play with Naruto.

"Weasel, did anything happen while I was gone." When he said this Itachi and Kakashi appeared. They didn't remove their masks because Sarutobi didn't okay it yet.

"I played with him for a bit, he's quite active for his age. Then he got tired so I put him down for a nap and then hid in the shadows. He slept for awhile. I was sitting there when he woke up. That is when it started to get weird. He sat up and looked around, he stopped right where I was hidden and he started to smile. It was like he knew where I was. I actually tested it by moving while still hidden to a different spot and he was still looking in my direction."

"_Well it looks like containing the fox has some benefits,_" Sarutobi thought. "Thank you Weasel." And as he was looking a the boy, Sarutobi had a thought. "_He hasn't been checked out yet. I need to find a reliable medic. One that will not … see. . . the...TSUNADE! My old student, she is a medic and knows sealing. This is prefect. All I have to do is find her. Crap, this isn't going to be easy._"


	2. Ch 01 part 2: Finding Tsunade

Author's note's: I had to edit chapter 1 before I could start chapter 2. It needed it and it helps me get pack into the story. This leaves off exactly after the last part. In fact don't read this go straight to the story.

Medical Strings Ch 01 Part 2

You see Tsunade wasn't in the village anymore. She actually hated the place. First, she lost her little bother (Nawaki) as a casualty of war. He was her only living relative. To be honest, he was more her son then her little brother. She raised him since she was 8 years old, after her parents died. Now the only reason she got to raise him was because she had graduated the ninja academia, meaning she was legally an adult. Tsunade spent the next 12 years being a mother/big sister to her little brother and becoming the best medic ever. That was until Nawaki died. She had a little break down after that, but she got back on her feet after a year. This event made her want to get medical-nins included on all teams on the battle field. That way if a team needed a medic there was one already there. Then a year later, she met Dan Kato and they became lovers. With him, she felt her hearth could fully heal from the death of her little brother. Then tragedy struck again. Not even a year later, Dan died a bloody death on the battle field. She was there, trying to save him, but couldn't. This caused her to develop haemophobia.

All of this left Tsunade with the feeling that the village would take away every thing she loved. So at the age of 22, she left. The day she was leaving, there was someone waiting for her at the village gates

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Flashback no Jutsu++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Tsunade was walking towards the village gate. They were big and looked like it would take an army to tear them down. In fact this was true.

She was wearing a white short sleeve shirt that showed off her stomach, which was flat and tone. The sleeves had a slit up the middle that allowed more movement. She also wore a red skirt that ended about mid-thigh. Underneath this she wore a meshed leotard. It covered her whole body, ending just after her sleeves and just below her skirt. On her feet, she wore the standard black ninja saddles. Her eyes were brown and her hair was pale blonde. She wore her hair into a high ponytail that went to the middle of her shoulder blades with shoulder-length bangs that separated from her forehead and famed both sides of her face. The feature that most men notice would be her sizable bust.

On her back was a small canvas sack full of strolls with everything she wanted and need sealed in them.

As she walked, Tsunade thought "_I'm finally leaving this horrible village. I won't let this place steal anything I love ever again._"

Approaching the gates, Tsunade saw a figure standing in front of them. It was a young girl that looked around 10 years old. She wore a long light blue kimono with blueish-black trimmings. It was held closed by a red obi. On her feet she wore open-toed sandals. Her eyes were dark and she had black hair that ended around her chin. On her back was a large hiking backpack with a sleeping bag at the top. She was Shizune, Dan's niece.

"What are you doing here Shizune?" Tsunade ask with general curiosity.

"Please take me with you Lady Tsunade," begged Shizune.

"I'm sorry, but I ca..," started Tsunade, but was interrupted by Shizune shouting.

"You can't do that. I loved Uncle Dan too. He was all I had left." At this point Shizune had started crying and had buried her face in her hands. In a voice barely above a whisper, she said "Please don't leave me alone."

At this point Tsunade bent down on one knee and hugged her. "_I can't leave her here by herself. Anyway it will be lonely by myself on the road and it would be nice to have someone with me._"

"I miss him too," Tsunade said. She breathed in and sighed. Releasing the hug, Tsunade put her hands on Shizune's shoulders and held the girl at arm's length. She tilted Shizune's face up so she could look into her teary eyes and said "Fine. You can come along, on two conditions." Tsunade held up one finger. "First you have to become my apprentice. Meaning you learn all you can from me and become the best medic-nin out there." She paused and a smirk came to her face. "Well after me of course." After a moment, Tsunade gained a very serious look as she held up a second finder and said "Second, don't get in my way when I drink and gamble. Deal?"

At this Shizune dried her tears and nodded her head.

"Well, let's be on our way then," Tsunade said as she and Shizune left Konohagakure.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Flashback End no Jutsu++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Yes finding them would be hard. They had not been back in three years, to Sarutobi's knowledge. He knew they would avoid Konoha like the plague, so he gave her wandering rights. This made it so they couldn't be labeled missing-nin for leaving the village.

Sarutobi knew what he had to do. He sealed the room, so no one would hear.

"Dog, please remove your mask. I have a mission for you." Sarutobi waited for Kakashi to do as he asked. "I need you to track down Tsunade. I want to know were her location is so that I can meet with her. If she realizes that you are trying to locate her, she will run and go further under the radar. You should start your search in bars and gambling parlors." He paused and let out a mental sigh."_Her and that gambling and drinking problem of her's._" Sarutobi continued talking. "This is important Kakashi. I need her as soon as possible."

"_I need to make sure Naruto is healthy and she is the only one I trust,_" the Hokage thought.

"Hai, Hokage-sama," answered Kakashi. And with that he disappeared in a swirl of wind and leaves.

Later, Kakashi reappeared outside the village gates. Biting his thumb until a drop of blood formed, he performed a sequence of hand seals and shouted out "Summoning no Jutsu." In a puff of smoke, 8 ninken (ninja dogs) appeared.

The first was the smallest of the dogs, a pug. He had brown fur and a dark brown snout and ears. He wore a blue vest with a heno-heno-moheji symbol on the back. Strangely enough the symbol looks like a face. This vest is worn by all of Kakashi's ninken. His Konoha forehead protector was worn with the metal plate on top of his head and the ends tied into a knot under his chin. He also has white bandage wrapped around his right front leg. His name is Pakkun and he is the nonofficial leader of this group, because he spoke the most.

The second was the largest of the group. His name reflected this, Bull. He was a large black intimidating bulldog. Around his neck was collar with sharp metal spikes. His hitai-ate was worn on the upper part of his front left leg, like an arm band. He doesn't or can't speak, but despite this he and Pakkun seem to get along because he allows the small pug to ride atop his head.

The third was a white and beige dog. The fur on his head was long and spiky. He wore his hitai-ate around his neck, with the armor in the front. Now the most noticeable thing about him was his eyes. They were triangular, which gave him an angry look. His name is Urushi.

The fourth was one of the two females among the dogs. Her fur was light gray with a white underbelly. On her head she had a black mo-hawk. Her hitai-ate was worn the same way as Urushi. On her front paws, she wore bandages. Her eyes were beady with black eyebrows. This gave her eyes an almost fishy look. Her name is Shiba.

The fifth was a small tan colored dog. His ears, paws, and eyelids were brown. His eyes were surrounded by a ring of black, giving him a look as if he didn't sleep. In the middle of his forehead was the symbol for shinobi. He wore his forehead protector around his neck. His name is Bisuke.

The sixth dog was a tan color. His head gave him a fox-ish look. He wore the standard outfit among the group, blue vest and hitai-ate around his neck. The weird thing about him is that he wears sunglasses. His name is Akino.

The seventh dog was the other female of the group. She looked like a doberman. Her fur was brown with a white underbelly and snout. She wears the standard blue vest and hitai-ate around her neck. Around her head, neck, and chest she wore bandages. Her name is Uhei.

The eighth and last member of the dogs, was a wolfish looking dog. He has tan fur, white snout and long brown ears. He wore the standard vest and his hitai-ate was around his forehead. Now he had some strange markings, what made them unusual was the fact that they were very similar to Naruto's whiskers. His name is Guruko.

Before Kakashi could inform them of the mission, Pakkun beat him to it.

"So Kakashi, what's the mission?" the ninken said in a deep and gruff voice.

"Well, my cute little pups, we have to locate Lady Tsunade," Kakashi replied in a voice that was some how lazy and serious at the same time.

"Do we need to bring her back to the village?" Uhei asked.

"No, we just need to find out where she is and then send message back to the Hokage so that he can meet with her. But the most important thing is that she doesn't find out we are there." Kakashi paused so that they could all understand this, and when they didn't ask anything, he continued. "We are going to split up and see if we can track down any trail of her. The Hokage suggested to start with gambling parlors and bars. This may also help."

At this Kakashi pulled out a piece of cloth. "This was at her house. It may be old, but it is a start." It was a piece of Tsunade's clothing. He had quickly stopped at her house before reappearing at the gate.

He passed the cloth around the dogs, and they all took in the scent. It smelled of slugs, medicine, and saki. It was a unique smell in the very least. After waiting to make sure they had a grasp on the scent, Kakashi shout "Now, Move out!"

And with that they scattered in different directions and started the search. None of them found anything for the first four days. On the fifth day, a howl was heard. This was the signal if anyone found anything. It turned out that Bull had picked up the sent. After a day's travel they arrived at the location of the sent.

It was Tanzaku Quarters, a lively town that was a popular tourist attraction because of the Tanzaku castle. The town also attracted many adults, who wanted to enjoy it's many gambling opportunities and fine drinking joints. This made it a perfect place to find Tsunade.

So they took off to look for her. It took another day, but they found Tsunade entering and checking into one of the finer motels. Kakashi over heard that Tsunade and Shizune would be there for a week. This was perfect for Kakashi, now he just needed to get a message back to Konoha to inform the Hokage. He looked over his ninken and decided to send Pakkun. The dog may be one of the smallest, but he was also one of his fastest. So Kakashi turned to the pug and said "Pakkun. I need you to return to the village and inform the Hokage that we have located Tsunade. Tell him that she will be in Tanzaku Quarts for the next week. It will take you about a day to get back, so that will leave him with about six days to get here before she leaves. Now go."

And with that the small pug started the trip back. Moving as fast as he could, Pakkun made it back in just under a day's time. He stopped at the gates to allow the guards to see that he was one of Kakashi's ninken. From there he darted through the village to get to the Hokage's Tower. As he was drawing near to his destination, he didn't slow down at all. Just as it looked like he was about smash into the side of the build, he jumped up and continued running up the wall vertically. He had sent chakra to his feet so he would stick to it. He continued up until he reached the Hokage's window.

Sarutobi had a nice week. He was a little worried about Naruto. The baby hadn't been check out yet, but the good news was that there weren't any assassination attempts. "_Probably because he has been with me the whole time,_" he thought bitterly. Yes, Sarutobi and Naruto had spent the whole time together, in the Hokage's Tower. The place was huge and had plenty of room. There was a whole wing of the building set up so the Hokage's family could live there. That is where they had been.

Sarutobi had a couple of cribs brought in. One for his office and one for his sleeping room. The old man just didn't feel safe letting the boy out of his sight. He also enjoyed spending time with Naruto. "_I won't be able to with all the work that has to be done, so I might as well enjoy it while I can._" He also spent the time observing the boy to make sure he wasn't being influenced by the beast. Minato may be a master sealer and Sarutobi believed in his work, but he still had to put the village's safety first.

Today, Sarutobi was sitting behind his desk. To the right was the crib where Naruto was sleeping. Sarutobi put the crib there for a reason. The only window in the room was on the wall that was behind the desk he sat at. It was a little ways off to the left. This meant that if someone decided to attack the baby they would have to literally go through Sarutobi and that is exactly what he wanted.

Sarutobi looked over at the sleeping baby boy and sighed. "_If Kakashi doesn't find Tsunade soon I'm going to have to settle for someone else._" Then flashes of his secretary and what she did flew through his mind. "_No. Kakashi will find her, I know it_." This would be the 7th day since he sent Kakashi out and Sarutobi was a little nervous.

Just then Sarutobi felt a small chakra signature at the base of the tower. He knew who it was and wasn't worried. So he kept his eyes on the boy. Sarutobi had seen him do something unusual several time and wanted to see if it was consistent. So as the chakra signature approached he watched the boy. Just as the chakra signature was ten feet away from the window, Naruto woke up and looked in that direction. Not a second later, Pakkun jumped in through the window. "_So I was right. Naruto can either sense the chakra, smell Pakkun, or hear him running up the wall._"

Pakkun was breathing hard and sweat was rolling down his brow. He was exhausted from his journey, he had used all his energy to make it on time. He was ready to collapse.

Sarutobi gave the small pug a few moments to regain his composure. After a minute Pakkun was ready to relay the message.

"Hokage-sama. We found Lady Tsunade. She will be in Tanzaku Quarters for the next six days," the small pug said to his leader.

"_Thank Kami,_" though Sarutobi as he asked "Where is Kakashi?"

"He stayed back to watch her," replied Pakkun.

"Thank you Pakkun. I want you to rest now, your journey back must have been tough on you," Sarutobi told the pug.

"Hai, Hokage-sama," said the pug, who then disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"_This is great. Now Naruto can get that check up,_" thought Sarutobi as he walked over to the crib and pick up the baby. He started to play with the baby's hands and tickle his tummy as he thought. "_Okay. Tanzaku Quarter is about a day's travel time for a shinobi and two for civilians. So I'm going to have to leave immediately."_

"Bear. Lion," Sarutobi shouted. Out of thin air two Anbu members appeared in-front of his desk. They wore the standard Anbu uniforms, with the one on the left wearing a bear mask and the one on the right a lion. Bear's mask had twin red spirals on his cheeks, the right spun clockwise and the left counter-clockwise. Lion's mask had a black circle around her right eye and a red heart on the left cheek.

"Bear, I want you to gather up all the baby stuff that is in my sleeping quarters and this office, then seal it all into a scroll. Then I want you to get a weeks worth of cloths, diapers and baby formula. This I want you to seal into another stroll. Make sure you mark them so I can tell the difference. Oh and seal one of the cribs in the second scroll," Sarutobi ordered.

"Hai, Lord Hokage," Bear replied and then disappeared in a swirl of smoke and leaves.

"Now, Lion, I want you to inform Itachi Uchiha that I have a mission for him and that he is to be in my office within the hour." Sarutobi didn't give her more details, because he wanted this all to be secret.

"Hai, Hokage-sama," said Lion before she too left in a puff of smoke.

About 17 minutes later, Bear and Lion were standing in-front of the Hokage's desk, waiting to be dismissed. On the desk were the two scrolls and to the left of the Anbu stood Itachi. He too wore the stand uniform of the Anbu. His mask wasn't present because Sarutobi ask for "Itachi" and not "Weasel".

"You two are dismissed," Sarutobi said to Bear and Lion.

The two Anbu replied with a chorus of "Hai, lord Hokage" and then they were gone.

Now Sarutobi turned to look out his window. The sun was high in the sky, meaning it was around the middle of the day. "As you know, I have a mission for you. About eight days ago, I sent Kakashi to find Tsunade. Today I received message that he located her in Tanzaku Quarter. She will be there for the next 6 days. So for the next eight days, you will be escorting me and Naruto there. Now I want you to go home and pack for the trip, I want to head out within 30 minutes. And keep in mind this may be a mission, but I want you to think of this as a vacation of sorts," Sarutobi said. "_I know I will be._"

"Yes, Sarutobi-sama, I will." And with that said, Itachi left.

So for the next 25 minutes or so, the two of them packed. When done, they both left to meet at the village gates. Itachi was first to show. He wore a long sleeve shirt and dark blue shorts that went to about the middle of his shin. The shirt had the Uchiha symbol on the back and was also dark blue. The strange thing about the shirt was that it had a raised collar and was about 3-4 inches away from his neck. This made it so his neck was covered yet gave full range mobility. On his feet were the standard shinobi sandals in black. He had his ninjato strapped to his back with the handle over his left shoulder. On his left and right thighs, two square pouches were placed. These held his shinobi tools and two scrolls. In these scrolls were his camping supplies, clothes and anything else he thought he might need.

After waiting for a minute or so, Itachi saw Sarutobi walking down the street with Naruto in his arms. He was wearing his Hokage's robes and hat. He didn't even look like he brought anything with him, but Itachi knew better. "_He probably seal all his things in a scroll and has it hidden in h is robs._"

And Itachi was right. Sarutobi did put the scrolls in his robs. He wanted to make sure that nothing got in the way when he was carrying Naruto. He looked down at the happy little boy. The baby was wearing a orange onesie. In his chubby little hands was a plush toad. Sarutobi bought the thing on the way to the gates.

…...…...Flashback no Jutsu…...…...

Sarutobi had been walking and Naruto stared to become fussy. Being a father, he thought "_I should give him something to play with._" He reached into his robs but a thought struck him. "_There are no toys in these scrolls, just cloths, food, and a crib. Fuck. Oh well I'll just have to get something._" He looked around, saw a store, and walked in. There were all kinds of things, from alarm clocks to dishes. It had everything. As he looked, Sarutobi couldn't help a weird nagging feeling in the back of his mind. It felt like he had seen these things before. He kept looking for some kind of toy he could give the boy. It wasn't until he came across a statue that the feeling was explained.

The granite statue was of a giant ape. It was all gray and a couple of feet taller then Sarutobi. The ape wore a baggy suit that ended after his elbows and his knees. This left his forearms and shins bare, showing the mesh armor he wore underneath. On top of this he wore a sleeveless kimono shirt with what looked like tiger stripes. The kimono's trimmings looked furry. Around his waist was a sash. His hair was long and flowing. He had a full bread where the side burns were longer then his goatee. The fur on his head look like a lion's mane, but you could just see his monkey ears pocking out of the fur. Around his forehead was a Konoha hitai-ate and behind him was his long flowing tail.

It was posed on a stump slightly hunched over standing on his left leg. His left leg was bent at the knee, making him stand on the ball of that foot. His right leg was bent so that balm was facing front almost like it was reaching out to grab you. His arms were straight out at his side, making them parallel to the stump. The tail was behind him on his right side and his hair was up and wavy. It gave him a overall look that he had just fallen and had landed with the grace that being a monkey granted him.

Sarutobi didn't even need to look at the name carved into the stump. This was a statue of Enma the Monkey King, his personal summon. Now that he looked around, he saw that everything in the store was a summon. "_This is simply amazing._" He looked behind him and saw a dish set that had Kakashi's ninken on them. Smiling as he thought "_That, I'm going to get him later." _ He looked down and saw that the happy baby was looking around until his eyes landed on something. Naruto became even more fussy and was reaching out for something. Sarutobi looked in the direction Naruto's attention was drawn and smiled. The stuffed animals. So he moved on until he stood beside them.

He had a feeling he would find the perfect thing here and he did. Sitting in the front were three plush animals that he knew very well.

The first was a dull, rusty red toad. He had bright red markings around his eyes and lips. The tops of his arms and legs were this bright red. On his back, stomach and randomly around his body were bright red swirl-ish marks. He was wearing a blue vest with white linings. "_It would be a perfect Gamabunta if it had the scar over it's left eye,_" Sarutobi thought as he picked it up. It felt almost furry and as he gave it a squeeze, it started ribbiting. "_It's perfect._" And yes it was, because not only did it make the baby happy, but it was also the animal that Minato could summon. Sarutobi handed it to the baby and he gurgled in happiness. "_It's the size of Naruto's head._" The old man gave a hardy laugh at that.

As the Naruto was distracted by the toad, Sarutobi looked on to the next plush animal. It was a slug about the same size as the toad. It was primarily white with three blue streaks. One down the middle on it's back and one on each of it's sides. On it's head were two antennas with a circle at the end. The circles had a small tint of gray in the middle. These were it's eyes. It's mouth looked strangely enough like an innie belly button, with two more smaller antennas for feeling. Now as Sarutobi picked this one up, he couldn't stop but thing of Katsuyu, the personal summon of Tsunade. As he picked it up he noticed how soft and almost furry it was, just like the toad. As he squeezed it, the slug squeaked and the eyes bulged. This made the old man chuckle. "_I think I'll get this so that Tsunade sees it,_" Sarutobi thought as he tucked it under the arm not carrying Naruto.

Now the last one caused the old man's mood to sadden slightly. It was a two foot long purple snake. It had thin black rings on its body about every two inches. It's eyes were green and slitted. On the back side of it's head were four horn like protrusions. As he picked it up, it felt like the other two. He then gave it squeeze to see what it would do. It made no noise. Just as he was about to put it down, he felt it snag on something. Looking down he saw that Naruto had stopped playing with the toad and was now holding onto the snake's tail. The boy started to shake the tail and it made a rattling noise. It had a rattle in it. And yet again the boy squealed with joy. With a chuckle Sarutobi thought "_I guess this makes Manda a rattle snake._" He paused, looked at Naruto, and thoutht "_Guess I could buy him all of them._"

Sarutobi couldn't help but think of the three things. They were based off of the three summons that Konohagakure was famous for. Manda the head of the snakes, Gamabunta the chief of the toads and Katsuyu the leader of the slugs. There were other summons from the village, but when someone thought of Konoha and summons, these were the ones they thought of. It wasn't because they were better, it was more along the lines of the ones that could summon them, the legendary Sannin. This was a title that three powerful shinobi earned during the Second Shinobi World War. The three being Tsunade, Orachimaru, and Jiraiya, Sarutobi's students.

As Sarutobi turned to go pay for the stuffed animals, he caught sight of a fourth stuffed animal. It was of his personal summons Enma. It had everything the real one had, from his white fur to his tiger striped top. It even had a small metal hitai-ate. It was the size of Naruto. Sarutobi couldn't help but look at the four stuff animals and see himself and his students, back when they were genin. It gave him a warm feeling in his heart. But looking at the mini-Enma got Sarutobi thinking "_I'm going to get him this too. If he's going to be playing with summons, I want him to play with mine._" Yes, he was a little jealous that Naruto was playing with the other summons and not his. So he grabbed the monkey.

Sarutobi walked over to the checkout. He hoped that the shopkeeper wouldn't have a problem with selling to the "demon-baby". He placed all the plush toys on counter and waited. There wasn't anyone behind the cash register. Sarutobi was in a bit of a hurry and then he saw a bell. He decided to ring it. As soon as it rang, it got a response.

"Just a minute," came a voice from the back. A second later a tall women step out from the back. She wore a light purple kimono, with dark purple lining. When the light hit it just right a silver vine like pattern could be seen. What was on her feet couldn't be told because the kimono covered them and slightly pooled around them. The sleeves were also long, stopping just below her hands. Her hair was black and flowed with a grace that made it seem like it was in water.

"Welcome to Meshi Aikouka's Shop. I'm Meshi," she said as she walked to the counter. She stopped at seeing who was at her shop, but quickly continued. "Hello Lord Hokage, what can I do for you?"

"I would like to buy these," Sarutobi indicated to the four plush summons.

"Oh, I see you have chosen the Gamabunta, Manda, Katsuyu, and Enma plush. Now normally it would be 3200 yen (about $40) but for you … ." At this she paused as if something just occurred to her. Her gaze fell from the Hokage's face to the small baby in his arms. Sarutobi thought this was a bad sight. "_Is she going to deny me these just because of Naruto?_" But this wasn't so.

"Is that HIM?" Meshi said this with the sleeve of her shirt brought up to cover her mouth. Her eyes darted back and forth as if to check if the cost was clear. The tone she used was as if a great secret was being told.

"Yes," said Sarutobi. He had tensed his muscles just enough so that he would be ready for anything that might happen. Meshi just gave a small smile at this.

"Can I please hold him? Please?" Her tone told Sarutobi that he could trust her. He handed Naruto over to her, but he stayed in a position that if she tried anything he could grab the baby and stop her.

Meshi looked over at the old man and said in a tone that spoke of how serious she was. "Don't worry Lord Hokage. I can tell the difference between a kunai and the scroll it's sealed in."

Sarutobi sighed. "_At least some one isn't an idiot,_" he thought as he said "Thank you."

"No need to thank me, I should thank this little guy," she said as she tickled his tummy. "Well as I was saying for you I was going to give you a 50% discount." Looking down at the little guy. "But for him, you can have them for free."

"That is too kind Meshi, that . ." Before Sarutobi could finish she cut him off.

"No it is not, it is the least I could do." Meshi's tone was gentle yet firm. It was a tone that said this is going to happen and there is nothing you can do to stop it. "He is going to need so much in live, but he isn't going to get it. If there is anything I can do just ask me." The last part was said with such sincerity that Sarutobi knew that it was the truth.

"That is . . . This . . . Thanks is not enough, but I feel I will take you up at that in the future," replied the old Hokage.

"It is no problem," Meshi said as she handed Naruto back to Sarutobi. After that, she took the snake, slug, and monkey, and sealed them into a scroll for easy transport. This she handed to the Hokage and the toad she gave to the baby, who immediately started to play with it.

With Naruto happy, Sarutobi walked to the store's exit. Just before he left, Sarutobi turned back and said "Thank you, Meshi-san. Expect future business from me. By the way, do you mind holding the Enma statue for me. I would like to buy it, but I have to be somewhere now."

"I can do that for you and I also look forward to that," replied Meshi.

"Thanks. I would love to stay and talk more, but I really am in a hurry. So have a good day," said Sarutobi as he walked out the door.

"No problem and come again anytime," Meshi shouted out so Sarutobi could hear her.

And with that Sarutobi left to meet Itachi.

…...…...Flashback End no Jutsu…...…...

As Sarutobi stepped up to Itachi, he said "Ready Itachi?"

"Hai, Sarutobi-san," Itachi replied as he looked at the baby. He may have a little brother at home about a year old, but for some reason he felt closer to Naruto then Sasuke.

Sarutobi saw the look in Itachi's eye. It clearly saying, I want to hold the baby. So Sarutobi said "Would you like to hold Naruto for me during the trip."

"Yes, I would," Itachi said as he reached out to take Naruto into his arms. He brought his hand up to the baby and took the small hand into his. Naruto quickly latched onto his pinky with one hand, while holding his toad with the other, so he could suck on it. "_He has a strong grip for a baby._"

"Now let's get going. If we take our time, but hurry, we should reach Tanzaku Quarter tomorrow night." With that said the two left. The pace they set was slow for shinobi, but fast for civilians. Shinobi could send chakra to their leg muscles to increase their speed and the range they could jump. The two of them, weren't even doing this. They were just using the muscle to hop from tree top to tree top. They could go faster, but they didn't want anything to happen to Naruto.

As they were going, Sarutobi and Itachi noticed something. Naruto was screaming. Itachi stopped to make sure the baby was okay, with Sarutobi quick to follow. As they landed on the ground, Naruto started to cry. Itachi quickly started to rock the baby. He even took a hold of the toad and made it start dancing. After a few minutes of this, the boy calmed down. "I don't think that we can continue tree hopping. I think that we are going to have to walk," said Itachi.

During this, Sarutobi was thinking. "_He was screaming, but he started to cry when we stopped. I think this is something else._"

"I don't think so Itachi. Hand him to me, I think I know what is going on," Sarutobi said.

Itachi handed the baby over and with that Sarutobi jumped up and started tree hopping again, with Itachi quick to follow. As he was going, Sarutobi watched Naruto. The baby started to scream again. At this, Sarutobi looked at his face and he started to chuckle. Naruto may have been shrieking, but he was doing it in pure joy. "_If he loves this, then he is going to love being a shinobi._" And he continued to chuckle as he picked up the speed. He even did a few flips.

Looking over to Itachi, Sarutobi saw the look on his face. It said he was still worried about Naruto, so Sarutobi shouted to Itachi "Don't worry, he loves it. I believe we will arrive sooner then thought. We should reach our destination tomorrow around noon." This was true. They had pick a slower pace so as to not upset Naruto. With the baby enjoying the roller coaster way shinobi traveled, they could go as fast as they wanted.

For the next six or so hours they traveled. By the time they stopped it was getting late. As if to punctuate that, Naruto gave a cute baby yawn. So they set up camp in a small clearing. It was roughly circular with a radius of 15 feet. The area looked like it had guests before. It had an old camp fire in the middle with two fallen logs around it. When they finished setting up their tent in the center of the clearing, they decided to start a fire and start making supper. Itachi walked over to the fire pit and used a small fire jutsu to light it. After that Sarutobi and Itachi sat down around the fire.

"Itachi," Sarutobi said. "Would you go out and gather something for us to cook, while I feed Naruto." He had gotten a bottle out to feed the boy. It way be late, but he wanted to make sure Naruto wasn't hungry.

"Of course, Sarutobi-sama," Itachi said before he headed out.

Sarutobi sat there before the warm fire, feeding Naruto as he made happy noises. As he waited for Itachi, Sarutobi looked up at the sky. The moon was out, without a cloud in the sky. It wasn't full, but it was close, meaning it would be a full moon the next night. He was broken out of his thoughts when Itachi walked back into the clearing.

It had only been about 20 minutes, but Itachi was able to catch two brown rabbits. In that time he had also skinned and prepared them for cooking. He even grabbed two sticks and had stripped them of bark and sharpened the tips. Sitting down in front of the fire, he impaled the rabbits on the sticks. Then he angled them over the fire so that they would cook.

Looking over the top of the flames, Itachi could see Sarutobi staring off into space and Naruto smuggled up to his chest. The bottle sat off to the side, empty of it's contains. The three of them sat in silence for a while until it was broken by Sarutobi.

"I don't have a good feeling for Naruto's future," Sarutobi said still staring off at the sky. "It is going to be hard for him and I feel that something bad is going to happen. Not now, not this year even. I'm not sure when it is going to happen." After this Sarutobi turn his eyes to Itachi. "Can I trust you to help him?" This Sarutobi said with a tone that spoke of his concern, desperation and hope.

At this Itachi spoke, "You don't even need to ask me. His parents were there for me when I needed them. My home away from home. I never felt close to my family. They never seem to understand me." At this he paused to gather his thoughts. "I feel the same way about Naruto as I do about his parents. I would do anything for him."

There was a silence again. Sarutobi decided to speak first. "I'm glad to hear that. Naruto is going to need all the help that he can get growing up." He really was glad to hear that. Naruto would have one more person to support him. As Sarutobi thought of good things, he was interrupted by Itachi speaking.

"I know that Kakashi feels the same way. The two of us will let nothing happen to him," Itachi said in hopes of helping his Hokage feel better.

"Thank you, Itachi. I have been feeling .. . Uncertain about things with everything going on recently," Sarutobi said.

"_I don't blame him,_" thought Itachi. "No problem. I certainly don't envy you at the moment." This was said with humor in his voice.

It was silent again, with neither knowing what to say. It was an awkward silence and it was uncomfortable. As if able to sense this, Naruto woke up and did something that absolutely broke up the tension immediately. He turned towards Sarutobi and spit up on him. Sarutobi looked down at his robs and saw the gross whitish stuff. Then he looked at the baby. Naruto had a look on his face that said that he didn't know what happen, but felt good now that it happen. Sarutobi turned towards Itachi and couldn't help but laugh. Itachi had a look that spoke of how gross he found what happened, glad that it didn't happen to him, and was trying to hold in his laughing. At this Sarutobi laughed a hearty laugh. This seemed to set off a chain reaction. First Itachi couldn't hold in his laughs anymore. He started to chuckle. Naruto hearing all this happy noise, added his own. He make some happy baby noises and this warmed both men's hearts. Sarutobi couldn't help but be in a good mood.

"Ha . ha. I believe I will be needing a change of clothes. While I'm at it, I'm going to put this little guy to bed." With that said, Sarutobi walked into the tent. In the middle was a crib, with a changing table hanging off the side. Itachi and Sarutobi had unsealed their stuff and put it up in the tent.

Sarutobi put the baby on the changing table, and removed his vomit covered onesie. Then he decide to change his diaper, then put him in clean pajamas. With that done, he put Naruto in the crib. The boy insistently started to play with the slug, frog, snake and monkey in his crib.

Now with Naruto set in his crib, Sarutobi walked over to his clothes and changed. After he was in a clean set of robs, he looked in on Naruto. The boy was asleep in his crib. "_Naruto will be fine in here._" He walked out of the tent, back to the fire and sat down next to Itachi.

"Here you go Sarutobi," Itachi spoke as he handed him a rabbit on a stick. It had finished cooking and cooling down while Sarutobi had been in the tent.

"Thanks," Sarutobi replied. They ate in silence for a few minutes. It was Sarutobi that spoke, breaking it. "I want to leave early tomorrow, so that we reach Tanzaku Quarters around noon." Looking down at his food, he said "I think we should save part of dinner and have it for breakfast, to save time." Itachi handed over the rest of his rabbit. He had eaten enough and was full. Sarutobi took the two half eaten rabbits and sealed them into a scroll. It would keep the food perfectly fine.

"Itachi, I want you to set these," Sarutobi paused to hand him six pieces of tan paper he pulled out of his rob. They were 3 inches by 8 inches with a border of ½ inch. In the middle of the paper was the symbol for security barrier, this was surrounded by a circle of artistic looking designs. A line of more symbols connected the circle to the corners of the paper. "Around the edge of the clearing."

"Hai, Sarutobi." Itachi didn't need to ask what they did. They were security barrier tags. They would alert them if the parameter was crossed. Itachi did the task very quickly. When he returned, Sarutobi was pulling out two more objects out of his robes. As he approached, Itachi got a clear look at what they were. "_Wristbands?_"

"Good job, that was fast. Now these" Sarutobi indicated to the bands " are linked to the tags. They will give a small shock if the barrier is crossed." After saying that, Sarutobi handed one to Itachi as he placed the other around his wrist.

"_That sounds pleasant,_" sarcastically thought Itachi as he too placed the device on his wrist.

"That will allow us both to sleep soundly tonight," Sarutobi said. Normally on a mission, they would sleep in shifts to keep someone on watch as the other slept. This mission was different, it was more of a business vacation. And besides they are two of Konoha's top most shinobi.

"Now I am going to bed. I'm not as young as I used to be and need a good night's sleep." Sarutobi waited for Itachi's reply.

"I think I'll hit the hay too. We both have to be up early tomorrow," Itachi said, deciding to take his Hokage's lead.

With that done they both got up. Itachi preformed a small water jutsu to put out the fire, as Sarutobi headed into the tent with Itachi right behind him. They both started to set up their sleeping bags on both sides of the crib.

Finishing first, Sarutobi walked up to the side of the crib to look down at Naruto. The sleeping baby had the plush slug clutched in his chubby little hands. The scene was made even more heart warming by the fact that Naruto had the slug's eye antenna in his mouth, sucking on it. Sarutobi quickly pulled a camera out of his robe's sleeve and snapped a picture, and just as quickly it disappeared. "_Now that will look good with the others." _He had a collection of pictures of everyone in his life. Some were used as blackmail and others were just cute moments.

Some may think it was weird for him to have a camera hidden in his robes, but he was a shinobi and this was useful in gathering information. Plus he wasn't the only one. Many of his elite jonins did this too. It was especially useful to senseis. The funny pictures you can collect from children learning to be shinobi are priceless.

Sarutobi tore his eyes away from Naruto and looked up. Itachi had finished settling up his bed, and was staring down at Naruto now too. He had a look on his face that said he fully enjoyed the scene too. Sarutobi couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at that. That made Itachi glance up, the two of them locked eyes and they couldn't help but laugh. They kept it down so as to not wake Naruto up.

"He really is precious," stated Itachi.

"Yes. Yes he is," replied Sarutobi.

They both went back to preparing for bed. After a few moments, they were laying down ready to get a good night's sleep.

When they woke up, it was around 6 am. The two of them got dressed for the day. Finished with that, the two of them walked out of the tent. They left Naruto sleeping in the crib, no sense waking the little guy until they leave.

Sarutobi walked to the fire pit and lit it. Pulling out a kettle and some other metal equipment, he set it up so the kettle would hang over the fire. He took a canteen of water and filled the kettle with water. Turning to look at Itachi, who had unsealed the remains of dinner, asked "Would you like a cup of tea? I need one to help me start the day."

"Yes, that sounds nice," replied Itachi.

So Sarutobi prepared two cups as Itachi reheat the remains of the rabbits. When they finished preparing breakfast, they sat down and had a quick meal because they wanted to leave soon.

When they finished, they packed everything up, leaving the crib and Naruto for last. Itachi and Sarutobi walked over to the crib and looked down at the baby. Naruto had been playing with the frog the whole time that they were busy. Itachi bent over and picked Naruto up, with the little frog held tightly in the baby's hands, as Sarutobi sealed the crib into a scroll again.

And on they went, jumping and leaping from tree to tree their way to Tanzaku Quarter. Naruto was screaming and squealing the whole way, but this time they didn't stop because they knew that he was happy. His little arms were waving all around with the toad in his little grip.

As Itachi landed on a large tree branch, Naruto dropped the little toad. Itachi had thought that might happen so he was ready. Using his quick reflexes, he applied chakra to his feet. It was just the right amount to allow him to slide along the branch's surface. He swung around the branch and as he was passing underneath it, he quickly reached out with his free arm and caught the toad. He had completed the 360 around the branch before Naruto even realized what happen. Itachi stood there for a few minutes before he spoke, this was just enough time for Naruto to realize he didn't have the toad and to get upset about it.

"There, there. No need to be upset little one," Itachi spoke as he wiped the tears forming in the infant's eyes. "Your little friend is safe now. You have to be careful and hold on tight or he might fall again." After he said this, he handed the toad back to the baby. Then Itachi started moving again and everything was as it was before the dropping of the plush animal, except for one thing. Naruto was not waving his arms around. He had both arms tightly wrapped around the toad so he didn't lose his friend again.

They spent the next few hours traveling this way. By the time they decided it was time to stop for lunch, they could see Tanzaku Quarters in the distance. It was only about 10 minutes away. So they chose to wait. They would meet up with Kakashi and then head to lunch.

As they drew near to the entrance to the town, they saw a figure leaning against the wall surrounding the town. He was under the shade of a big tree. Looking at him you could tell that he was a powerful individual. His mere presence was enough to make full grown men tremble. But this was ruined by what he was doing. At the moment the man was reading a little orange book and every so often giggling like a little school girl.

"_Kakashi and his Icha Icha book. Damn you, Jiraiya for giving that to him it,_" thought Sarutobi. It wasn't that the old man wasn't a fan of the series, he had a copy in his desk. Hell, he had the whole series in his closet, including first additions, rare exclusives, and a couple that had been banned. That is what happens when you were the teacher of the author. That's right Jiraiya wrote it. The reason that Sarutobi was a little upset, was because Kakashi was ALWAYS reading it. When he walked, talked, and even when he ate. This was a little obsessive and it looked bad. Kakashi is a top shinobi of Konoha and is always seen reading adult novels. Well that is what men called it. Women on the other hand called it perverted trash.

They made their way over to Kakashi. "Yo guys, how was the trip?" Kakashi said to them without even looking up. Itachi and Sarutobi weren't even close to him and he didn't even need to look up from his book to tell they were there. This didn't surprise the two of them. Kakashi always had his noise buried in that little book, so he had plenty of practice sensing where things were. Plus he is a top shinobi of Konoha.

"It was surprisingly pleasant," replied Sarutobi.

Itachi and Sarutobi were standing in front of Kakashi as he was still leaning back against the wall. There was a comfortable atmosphere between the three of them. Then Kakashi, closed his book, pushed himself off of the wall and turned towards Itachi.

"May I see him?" Kakashi said while making the universal hand gesture that said I want to hold the baby. With that Itachi handed Naruto over. He had been holding him the whole time so far, why not give Kakashi a chance. As Naruto was being placed in his hands, Kakashi spoke to the him. "Hey there Naru-chan. How have you been?" As if to answer him, Naruto started to coo and try to reach Kakashi's face mask.

As Kakashi looked down at the small baby in his arms, he thought "_Minato-sensei, he looks just like you. Except for the whisker marks, he could be your clone. They make him look cute, but they make me feel guilty for it happening._" He looked over the boy even more, as if inspecting him for damage. "_He even has a plush toad with him. It's like they are daring people to realize who he is and what happened._"

As this was going on, Sarutobi watched his Anbu captain act like a mother hen with the boy. "_I was going to send him back to the village, but ..._"

"Kakashi-kun, we were going to head to launch and I was wondering if you would like to accompany us?" Sarutobi asked.

Kakashi didn't even need to think to answer. "I would love to. I even know the perfect place to go." He waited for Sarutobi to give his okay. "_He is the Hokage, so he has the last say._"

In that moment of silence, Sarutobi thought "_Kakashi has been here for a while. . ._" with that decided he said "Lead the way, Kakashi-kun."

And with that Kakashi turned, still holding Naruto, to the entrance to Tanzaku Quarters.

As Kakashi lead them to the restaurant, he relayed the information he had gotten about Tsunade and Shizune. They didn't worry about being overheard by the people on the street. This may be a mission, but there wasn't a need for secrecy, at the moment.

"I have been watching Tsunade and Shizune since I got here," Kakashi started with. "They have been staying at the Kyakushoubai , one of the largest hotels in the area. Apparently the owner's son, Hiyowai, has been stricken down with a deadly sickness. He's been paying them to tr.." Kakashi would have continued but was interrupted by shouting to their left.

"I want to go to the casino!," a mature woman's voice shouted. The tone of her voice was deep and sensual, with an undertone that spoke of someone with power. The strange thing was that even with all of that it still came off as childish whining.

"NO! I will not have you spend all the money we just earned today," a second woman's voice shouted back. This one sounded younger than the first. "We need it to keep up to date with the bill collectors." Her voice had the tone of someone speaking to a person they respect yet was as if they were a mother reprimanding their child.

"But..," the first one stared, interrupted by the second woman countering "Let's get dinner. I know the perfect place and . ." she paused as if for dramatic effect "I hear they have the best sake around."

"Then what are we waiting for, lead the way Shizune."

"Of course, Lady Tsunade."

It was the last two sentences that caught Sarutobi's, Kakashi's, and Itachi's attention. In unison, the three turned to look and the surprise could be seen on their faces. Well, Sarutobi's and Itachi's, you could. Kakashi's face was covered with a mask, but you could still see a hint of it in his eye.

There standing only about ten feet away from them were the two that they were looking for.


	3. NOTES, NOT A CHAPTER

**THIS IS NOT A CHAPTER. IT IS JUST NOTES AND STUFF**

I'm sorry but I had to redo Chapter 2. It didn't come out right. So I trashed it for now. I'm not really sure what happened. . . Well that isn't exactly true. I wanted to get Shizune and Tsunade in the story and . . . to be honest I had trouble doing that and got bored so I added something to entertain myself. Then I got too focus on that thing. Well the best way for me to explain it is this: I was going along fine during Ch 1, but when I got to Ch 2 I took a right turn and never got back on track. So just pretend that the old Ch 2 didn't happen.

I would love to give a special thanks to HPotterForever (I spelled you name wrong because every time I spelled it right, it would disappear) and ncpfan. I don't think I could have done this without the two of them. You two gave me the help I needed when I wanted to give up. So I bow to you two. Thanks and I hope you two will continue to help me.

I started the new Ch 2 on 2/20/13

Now on to the reviews. Some of these are reposts, but I still want to answer them.

Acolyte of the Blood Moon: Thanks. Didn't see that.

BDG420: I know it is descriptive, but that is how I like to write. Plus, my original beta (who quit on me) wasn't into Naruto so I had to explain things. I'm trying to work on it.

Killjoy3000: Oh there will be maybe six girls competing for his affection. I think two will drop out to help their friend. But I just want to say that I don't plan on this turning into a harem (it might). I don't think I could write that. Not that I'm dissing stories that do that.

alchemists19: Thanks. Sorry for the long wait. I wanted to give this to everyone on Christmas (12/24/12 or 12/25/12), but things got a little crazy. I got sick, well everyone in my family got sick. Then the family things came into place. Then came the bad original Chapter 2 that I had to rewrite.

6nine9: Thanks and I will.

tstoldt: I love baby moments too. Some of them were inspired by my niece. I hope you enjoy the new ones in this chapter. Sorry to say but Hinata and Temari are in the running.

luckyschoolgirl: Thanks, I love to hear from the school girls . . . wait . . a . . . THAT DIDN'T COME OUT RIGHT.

ncpfan: LOVE YOUR REVIEW. Reading reviews like yours makes me want to write. I already contacted you about your questions, but I'm going to answer again or something.

Sorry to say it might be a few chapters before you find out how Naruto got into the sad state he was in when I introduced him.

Meshi is going to be a mystery for now. I honesty don't now what I'm going to do with her for now. I write these things as I go. When I write, I first think of an idea. Then I just start writing. When not working on it I will think of scenes I want to write.

Well, Tsunade doesn't hate Naruto. In fact, she doesn't know that he exists. That's what I'm thinking of doing. I know a lot of stories and things say that Kushina and Tsunade were friends, but I'm thinking of doing something different.

Mikoto Uchiha. . . Hm. I didn't even think of her. I don't know. She's going to be nice like in canon, but I don't know if she is really going to interact with Naruto. She seems pretty much under her husband's thumb to me, but I could be wrong. In fact, now that I think about it, I think she would want to have interaction with the boy. I'm thinking of having Naruto close to Itachi anyway. But I don't think that having Naruto and Mikoto being close would work if Itachi kills his clan (except Sasuke). That would really put an Itachi and Naruto friendship possibility down the toilet. Sorry to spoil, but I need Sasuke to be a jerk in my story.

agnar: I know I had to re-edit the story. I think I fixed most of it and kept what I liked. And just to restate, the first part about a sad stated Naruto was a preview or something like that. I want to thank you for being honest with your review and I hope I fixed it. What's happening now in the story is the current present.

SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan: I chose Naruto and Tsunade as the main characters spots not because they are going to be paired together (in a romance way at least), but because the story is about Naruto and the fact that Tsunade does something that will effect everything. I'm not telling you what she does, but I will give you a hint. Think about the relationship between them. What does it remind you of?

ultima-owner: Thanks, that was what I was aiming for.

Grocamol: Yes it is, or should I say was. I think it only has a couple now.

Gruffard: Well, yes Jiraiya is missing. For now I'm not sure why, but there is a reason. Be it the spy network, he couldn't handle that fact that the person he saw as a son was dead, and/or something else.

I do plan on explaining why Naruto seems weeks old and not days. I believe it will be explained after Tsunade examines him in this chapter.

c im am a dragon: Thank you.

HPotterForever: Thanks, your review is one I love. Now I think I already answered about the Naruto and Tsunade thing.

Thanks for the editing suggestion. I used it on my Omni Evolution story and it worked fabulously. That's why I'm using it now.

I don't plan on making too many characters out of character. May be a bit, but it will be explained or something. There is not going to be anything like, I don't now, Kakashi randomly saying "I hate Naruto" and then he tries to kill the kid. No I don't do that. I don't mind when someone does that, I just like it if it was explained or something.

I plan on making Itachi have a larger play in Naruto's life. Not going to say more.

Slayer6nf: Actually I think if we all work together, we could get them to change the rules. I mean the writers have the power because with out them, no stories. And no stories means no site.

Matthew 7/9/12 . chapter 2: Thanks and you should so set up an account. That way you can follow stories easier and stuff. I set up one before I stared to write and it made things so much easier.

Guest 7/12/12 . chapter 1: Thanks for just pointing out my mistakes. Anyway, same thing to you as I said to Matthew 7/9/12 . chapter 2.

Wolfworrier911: I know, baby Naruto is so cute. This chapter has more of him.

Guest 12/28/12 . chapter 2: You should get an account. Anyways . . . . I'm sorry, but Naruto will not be getting a stuffed fox. Instead, he will be getting something better later on**.**

Guest 12/28/12 . chapter 3: Same thing about getting an account. You are going to find out in this chapter.

Gruffard: Thanks for saying that about the old chapter, but I had to kill it. It was a horrible mutant mistake. .

HPotterForever: Thanks for the review. I sorry that was your reaction to the story and I think this chapter fixes it.

On the replay thing, I'm not going to do a thing. Not to be rude or anything. I know that you may have gotten a little lost, I myself have had that happen to me after a story updates after a long time. I have actually gone back and reread a whole story just to get back up to date (and the story was like 15 long chapters). What I figure is that people can do that, because I am HORRIBLE at summarizing things. I never know where to add or remove a part and then it just turns into me retelling the whole story again. Just trust me, it really is a mess. And I will not abandon any story until it is done or if something horrible happens to me. (God forbid.) I so don't want to leave any readers hanging.

And I love reviewers like you. I don't like hearing that there are problems in my story, but I like it when people are nice about it as they point out those problems.

So I hope you enjoy this part (you should since you help me fix it) and I would like to say thank you for the help you gave. Not many people are willing to help me with my writing. And remember to leave another review for me. . . . I don't use reviews like an energy drink (well, they do give me a little boost), but they do make me feel like there are people out there enjoying this story. I may be writing this for me, but I still like to hear that others are enjoying it.

ultima-owner: Yes, it was painful for Tobira to receive that scar. But sadly you might never see him in the actual story again. Just a phantom in a ghost story

InARealPickle: Wwweeeellllll . . . . . I guess I did bumped Itachi's age up without noticing. Now that you mention it, I think Sasuke is older then he was in ordinal media. Not sure how old he is and it really doesn't matter. I wanted to involve him in the story because I feel like he gets a bad deal in the original stuff . . . . plus he is a sexy guy.

Danny R 12/29/12 . chapter 3: You should so get an account. Here is the next chapter, I hope you like it.

ncpfan: It's nice to hear from you. Now that you mention it, Ch 02 part 1 seems to be a little . . . flat if you will. Like nothing really happens, except for some small important things. We finally get to Tsunade and Shizune. We also are introduced to Tobira and Yutaka. They may be original characters, but they are going to have big parts in the next couple of chapters. Sorry if that upsets some people. They were originally going to have smaller parts, but I got an idea and went with it.

Silvermane1: You are right about the becoming a medical-nin part. Now the effeminate part . . . . I haven't thought of that . . . maybe, I don't know at the moment. . . . Most likely yes.

NOW THIS IS WERE THE BRAND NEW AND UNANSWERED REPLIES START.

ultima-owner: That is so true, just look at me.

Silvermane1: Thanks

Ronny214: I didn't realize I did that. Well I did at the time, but I forgot about it. It's nice to know someone notices stuff like that.

Danny R 2/18/13 . chapter 4: I'm a weird person.

Ryuuseid: I know and your review is the one that pushed me over the edge, making me really start to question it. I then messaged HPotterForever and ncpfan to get their opinions. It was decide by me that the chapter need to die because all attempts to repair the wounds were fruitless.

HPotterForever: We talked about this and I strongly believe it is fixed.

Gruffard: Ummm . . . I don't what to say .. . .


	4. Ch 02 part 1: The Examination

Author Notes: This is the real chapter.

_Thoughts = "Did I lock the house before I left?"_

**Demon or Summons** = "**Hi, I'm a succubus and I'm here to seduce you and suck your life out.**"

_**Demon or Summons Thoughts**_ = "_**What should I do after I eat this girl . . . hmmm . . . I have been meaning to watch Wreck-It-Ralph.**_"

_**Other voices in head**_ = "_I have so many problems going on right now._" "_**Like the fact you forgot to renew the prescription that keeps the voices in your head quiet.**_"

Other languages = "I hate those stupid Americans, thinking they own everything."

Medical Strings Ch 02 part 1: The Examination

"_Well this went unexpectedly easy. I thought it would be harder to find Tsunade and Shizune._" Sarutobi walked straight towards the two kunoichi with Kakashi and Itachi right behind him.

The street was crowded and the pace set by the two women was a fast one. So by the time Sarutobi caught up to her, he was behind the medical-nins. He made a small hand gesture that told Kakashi and Itachi to stand back. "_I don't want her to think we're here to capture her._" He knew that she was suspicious of Konoha and everyone from there.

He walked up to them and was a bit surprised that neither Shizune nor Tsunade had noticed him yet. The two looked to be in a serious talk about something. Sarutobi couldn't help hearing some of it.

"I'm still a little surprised by what Yutaka's son had. . . . how would a civilian get a chakra parasite in the first place?" Shizune said, a little puzzled sounding.

"Probably by playing ninja," Tsunade replied sounding bored. "It doesn't really matter, we removed it and now all we have to do is deal with the after effects. But for now . . ." Her sentence was left hanging.

Sarutobi had chosen that moment to interrupt them. He walked up so that he was a few feet behind them, then he said "It's been a long time, Tsunade."

His voice caused the two kunoichi to quickly turn around and face him. Both had a surprised look on their face. Shizune even shouted out "Lord Sarutobi."

Immediately getting over her shock, Tsunade said "What are YOU doing here?" Her tone sounded wary and there was a bit of accusation in her voice. She wanted to be angry, but couldn't really find it in herself to be to upset at Sarutobi. She would never admit it out loud that she felt fatherly affection towards the old man.

"_It's nice to see you too,_" thought Sarutobi. He decided to be direct with her. "I'm here to see you," he pointed at Tsunade. "I have a favor to ask of you."

"No," was her instant reply. There was a finality to her voice. This was mostly because she thought he was going to ask her to come back to the village.

"It's not for me," Sarutobi said. He signaled for Itachi and Kakashi to come over. He took Naruto from Kakashi (who looked a bit saddened) and held the baby in his left arm. "It's for him," he said as he gestured at Naruto.

The two kunoichi turned towards the baby and what they saw pulled on their heartstrings. Little Naruto was looking up at them with big wide eyes. He had the cutest look of surprise on his face. It was like he didn't know what to make of them. He also had the leg of his little toad in his mouth. After a few moments of just staring at them, Naruto reached out towards the two, wanting them to pick him up. This left the toad to dangling from his mouth.

Seeing the baby, Shizune felt like she melted a little inside. "He's too cute for words." As polite as she could, she asked "May I hold him please, Lord Sarutobi?" This was accompanied by a pleadingly look.

Seeing no problem, Sarutobi handed Naruto to her. He then watched as Shizune interacted with the baby. He wasn't the only one watching.

"_He is . . . kind of . . . adorable,_" Tsunade thought as Shizune took the toad out of Naruto's mouth and made it dance on his tummy. The little baby made happy noises in reply. The young kunoichi then made the toy start tickling him. This really got happy squeals from Naruto.

Watching the two play brought a genuine smile to Tsunade's face. After a few minutes, she turned towards Sarutobi to ask him what he want her to do for the baby. When she saw his face, she let out a sigh. Sarutobi was staring at her with a knowing look. It said that he knew that she would eventually give in and agree to help, even before he asked her. "_How does he do that?_"

Sighing a little, Tsunade said "Fine, . . .What can I do?"

"We were just on our way to get something to eat," Sarutobi said with a smile. "Why don't you join us? We can discuss some of it over a good mean."

"As long as you're paying," Tsunade said with a smirk.

"Of course, I did just ask you to join us," Sarutobi replied.

"_Free food and saki . . . It doesn't get any better," _Tsunade happily thought.

"I don't mind . . . as long as you pay for your own alcohol," Sarutobi said with a kind voice. He couldn't help smiling when he saw Tsunade's shoulders slump a little. "Did you really think I forgot how you get?. . . I may be getting on in life, but that doesn't mean I'm gone senile yet." He sounded amused.

"Now, we just have decide where to go," Sarutobi said. "Kakashi here was leading us to a restaurant he knew of."

"Well, Shizune was taking me to this place that had the best saki," Tsunade said.

With that, Sarutobi and Tsunade turned towards the others. It appeared that while they were talking, Kakashi and Shizune had gotten into a bit of a heated debate.

"I can't believe you are reading that . . that smut in public." Shizune paused for a moment and then continued a little louder. "And in front of a baby."

Kakashi had his face buried in his little orange book. He replied in a laid-back tone while still looking at it. "I was at a really good part and wanted to finish reading it. . . and beside, it doesn't really matter if Naruto is around, he has no idea what this," he lifted the book a little, "is."

As the two went back and forth, Itachi stood to off to the side. He looked like he was trying not to be dragged into the argument. He had Naruto in his hands and the baby looked positively happy. It seemed Naruto enjoy watching the two shinobi's bickering. He started to clap his little hands in joy and this caused his grip on the stuffed toad to loosen. The toy flew out of his hand and it took Naruto a moment to realize. He let out a small cry at loosing his little friend again.

Hearing the baby's cry, Shizune and Kakashi stopped arguing and turned to look in Itachi's direction. Their looks were a bit accusative.

"He's okay, he just dropped his toad," Itachi calmly said. He wanted to make sure they didn't blame him for upsetting Naruto.

The three looked around the vicinity for a bit, but the plush toad wasn't anywhere in view. They started to get a little frantic when they couldn't find it and the fact that Naruto was crying didn't help anything.

Sarutobi was about to unseal one of Naruto's other stuffed animals, but stopped. He watched as Tsunade bend down and picked up the stuffed toad. It had apparently fallen and rolled some until the toy was by her feet. She took a moment to look at the plushie. Wiping some dirt off the toy, she thought "_This thing reminds me a little of Jiraiya._" She then leisurely walked over to Itachi and said "Hand me the boy." She sounded indifferent to what was going on.

It took a moment, but Itachi decided to give her Naruto. By this time, Shizune and Kakashi had stopped looking and were just watching.

Looking down at the baby, Tsunade's face softened. She held Naruto to her chest and rubbed his back. Then in a very gentle tone, she said "Calm down." She continued to move her hand in a circle on his back. "I know it's hard, but it is okay." Her voice was caring. She then started to rock Naruto a bit. After a few moments, she had gotten the baby to settle down. Only after Naruto was calm, did Tsunade give him back the stuffed toad.

The baby hugged the toy for a moment before he looked up at Tsunade. He gave her a happy look which surprised her because when he smiled he bore a striking resemblance to Nawaki. "_He looks so much like him._" It saddened her a bit, but also made her happy. It was almost like Nawaki was still alive in a way. After a moment, she returned the infants smile. He then pressed himself as hard as he could to her, surprising Tsunade a bit. The little guy was trying to express his thanks the only way he could and this hit Tsunade so strongly that she almost said "aaww."

Turning towards everyone, Tsunade saw that they (except Sarutobi) were staring at her with a surprised look. What they found so interesting was the way Tsunade was acting. The maternal role didn't exactly go with her personality, but she was pulling it off very well.

"What are you looking at?," shouted Tsunade, making the three shinobi take a step back. Now you would think that Naruto would have become upset by of her yelling, but he didn't. He actually had a smile on his face. It seemed he knew that it wasn't directed at him.

Tsunade finished off her little rant with "If you find me so interesting, why don't you take a picture."

What she didn't know was that Sarutobi already had. He had actually gotten two: one of Tsunade calmly holding Naruto and another of her with a happy baby as she yelled at Kakashi, Shizune and Itachi. "_This will look good in Naruto's photo-album, . . . . I think I'll put "Meeting Tsunade for the First Time" over it._"

After letting Tsunade yell for a bit, Sarutobi decided to interfere. "Shizune and Kakashi." When he saw that he had their attention, he continued. "You each had a restaurant in mind to go to. Why don't you two talk it out and decide were we should go?" He had a reasonable tone to his voice.

The two nodded in reply and then turned towards each other.

"I was taking Lady Tsunade to Megami no Mitsu," Shizune said to Kakashi. "It's this little place our employer's assistant told me about."

Kakashi's visible eye showed some surprise when he heard the name of the place. Then he closed it and gained a look to his face. The best way to describe it was an eye smile because that was the only visible part of his face and he used it to convey what he was felling. In a happy tone he said "Well isn't that a coincidence, Shizu-chan. That's where I was taking Lord Hokage and Itachi."

Before either of them could exchange another word, Tsunade said "Well then, Shizune, lead the way." Her tone made it obvious that she was loosing her patience, but she was staying pretty calm. That might have something to do with the infant she was holding.

"Right away, Lady Tsunade," Shizune quickly replied.

With that Shizune started to lead the way. Itachi was walking slightly next to her, the reason being that he wanted to talk to her. He had agreed with her during the argument about Kakashi's book, but he just didn't want to get involved. Behind them were Tsunade with Naruto in her arms, and Sarutobi. The two older shinobi were walking next to each other, that way they could talk. And taking up the rear was Kakashi. There were a couple of reasons why. Some had to do with strategy and defense, but the main reason was that he simply wanted to read his book in peace. He didn't want to be in Shizune's view because he didn't want to start the argument again.

They continued on like this for a bit. It wasn't long before they got to the restaurant. They entered Megami no Mitsu and were greeted by a young woman wearing a shiny light blue kimono. In her hands were some menus.

"I'm Nakai and I'll be your waitress today," she said in a bubbly voice. It almost made her seem a little ditzy. "If you will follow me, I'll have you seated."

As the small group was lead through the restaurant, they walked past several salt water aquariums full of colorful coral and tropical fish. They were almost everywhere, making it obvious that this was the place's theme.

Nakai stopped in front of a corner booth. It was shaped like a "U", making it one big seat with a round table in the middle. Behind the seat was a large curved aquarium, shaped like the booth. It was quite expensive looking and gave an exotic feel to the seating.

Turning towards the group, Nakai moved out of the way and said "These will be your seats."

The shinobi each took a seat. Tsunade sat on the left end and Shizune sat to her left. Naruto had been handed to Shizune because Tsunade could tell that she wanted to hold the baby again. She was proven right when she saw Shizune playing with the baby. Sarutobi took the right end with Kakashi on this right. This left Itachi in between Shizune and Kakashi.

Once they were all seated, Nakai said "Here are your menus." When she handed them out, she realized that she was one short. "I'm sorry, I'll get another menu."

Before she could leave, Shizune stopped her by saying "It's fine, Itachi-san and I can share."

Nakai looked a little confused, but it was quickly replace with her happy attitude. In a chippy tone, she said "Okay. . ." She paused for a moment. She looked at Shizune and then down at Naruto. This was actually the first time she notice the baby. "Oh my GOD, he is so lovable. What is this little guy's name?"

"Naruto," replied Shizune.

Looking at the baby, Nakai said "Hi there Naruto." She waved her hand, but not in the usual way. She only moved her fingers up and down. Naruto only stared at her, so she stuck out her tongue and touched her nose with it. That got her a smile and a couple of happy baby giggles. Hearing a cough to the side, she turn (not realizing she still had her tongue to her nose) and saw that it was Tsunade. The blonde woman was giving her a look that told her to get back to business.

"Uh . . ah . . Okay, would anyone like to hear our special today?" She pulled a little pad of paper so she could write down their answers.

"Yes, that would be nice," replied Sarutobi.

"For today's special, we have a foreign soup. It's called clam chowder," Nakai said. "It's a seafood soup that is creamy with potatoes and clam meat." She noticed that the group needed a minute to think. "If you need some time to decide, I could go get you all something to drink?"

"I think that is a good idea," replied Sarutobi.

With that, Nakai asked everyone, one by one, what they wanted. Sarutobi, Shizune, and Itachi wanted green tea. Kakashi asked for black coffee with creamer on the side.

Finally, Nakai looked to Tsunade.

"What do you have for Saki?" Tsunade asked.

"_Isn't it a little early for that? . . . whatever, she is a customer,_" Nakai thought. "Give me a moment and I get you our alcohol menu." She quickly left and returned with the menu. She gave it to Tsunade. " In the meantime, is there anything I can get you while you decide?"

"Sure, I have some coffee," replied Tsunade as she looked over the selection of alcoholic drinks. "_Look at all the types they have . . . Mmmm."_

Checking her pad, Nakai was sure she had everything down. "I'll be right back with your drinks." With that said, she turned and left.

Now that the shinobi were by themselves, Tsunade decide to get straight to the point. "What do you need from me for Naruto?" She was looking straight at Sarutobi as she asked. Her tone was serious, but reasonable.

"I'll get to that in a minute, but first . . .," Sarutobi replied. He reached into his robe sleeve and pulled out a baby bottle. "It's time for Naruto's bottle." He turned towards Shizune and said "Would you like to feed him?"

"I'd love to," Shizune replied quickly and in a happy tone.

Passing the bottle over, Sarutobi saw Kakashi's and Itachi's disappointment. "_I guess they wanted to feed him._" He couldn't help chuckling. "Don't worry boys, there will be more opportunities to feed Naruto . . . he is coming back with us."

"Can we get back to my question," Tsunade said, sounding like she was really getting annoyed. "What do you want from me?"

"Your services," replied Sarutobi. "I need you to preform a medical check up on him." He saw that the two medical-nins had slightly confused looks on their faces. ". . . and before either of you ask why I didn't just go to any medic in Konoha, I need someone that understands seals and whom I trust." He looked directly at Tsunade and stressed the next part, "More importantly, I need someone who can tell the difference between a scroll and the kunai sealed in it."

That last sentence was a secret message and when Tsunade understood it, the situation became clear to her. "Jinchuriki," she silently whispered. Tsunade looked at Shizune innocently feeding Naruto. She then turned her attention to the baby, who looked like he was falling asleep. The two looked like they didn't have a care in the world at the moment. Turning towards Sarutobi, she said "Yes. . . I will give him a full checkup at our room, that way we can have some privacy."

"Thank you," Sarutobi said to Tsunade. He was glad that his old student was willing to help.

Looking at the alcohol menu, Tsunade said "You can thank me by telling me ALL the details later."

Sarutobi thought about it for a moment, but saw the fairness to that. "_I'll give her most of the facts, but his parents . . . . well, that is a different thing._" Nodding his head, he said "I'll tell you what I can."

This got a frown from Tsunade, but she understood that in their line of work there was always going to be some secrets.

They all looked at the menus and made small talk for a bit before Nakai returned. She was carrying one big tray. She place the tray down and put everything needed to enjoy the coffee and tea on the table.

"You guys ready to order?," asked Nakai as she got out her pad again.

"I believe we are," replied Sarutobi.

Once Nakai had all of their orders, she left to get them start. This left the shinobi to make small talk again. It was mostly between Tsunade and Sarutobi. They seemed to enjoy talking with each other. Watching the two, you might mistake them for a father and daughter.

Kakashi and Itachi were quietly sitting there. Neither of them said much. Kakashi was fight the urge to pull his little book out. He really wanted to read it, but he still didn't want to start anything.

Silently glancing at Shizune and Naruto every so often, Itachi thought that the two looked good together. "_She will make a great mother someday._"

At the moment, Shizune was holding a sleepy Naruto. He was snuggled up to her and she started to rock him a little. This put Naruto right to sleep. She figure that if he was sleepy, then he should get the rest while he could. Because once they got back to the hotel, he would have to be awake during the checkup.

Almost a hour later, Naruto started to wake up. Shizune watched as he started to sniff the air and then opened his eyes wide. It seemed to Shizune that he only woke up because he smelled something he wanted. He looked off in the distance and she tried to see what he was looking at. "_Is he looking at the doors to the kitchen?_" After a second, the doors opened and Nakai walked out with their orders. Looking back at Naruto, Shizune thought "_Did you smell the food and know where it was coming from?_"

Nakai walked over to the table and gracefully place everything down. The food looked and smelled delicious. Near Tsunade, Nakai place the bottle of saki she ordered and five cups. She looked at Tsunade and winked. "In case you want to share." Before she left, she said "If you need anything, just give me a call."

With the food there, they started to dig in. Shizune was having a little trouble because Naruto had become fussy. She thought that he might need to be burped, so she did that. Naruto gave a big burp after a few pats, but he was still finicky. He was starting at the food and trying to reach it with his small hands.

"It seems like Naruto is still hungry," said Kakashi. He was eating his soup and somehow still keeping his mask on. It was actually kind of weird, how he did it.

"Well I'm sorry Naruto," Shizune said to the baby. "You are too little for grownup food." Naruto just replied by crying a little. Shizune hugged and comforted him.

"Shizune," Tsunade said. "I think it will be alright if he has just a little bit of your rice."

"But . . ." Shizune tried to say, but she was cut off by Tsunade.

"It's fine Shizune." Tsunade said this in a carefree tone that almost made it seem like she didn't care. "I have my believes that he won't be getting sick. . . . "_thanks to the demon sealed in him_". . . . and IF I'm wrong," she scoffed at the idea, "there are two top medical-nins here so don't worry about it."

Still feeling a little worried, Shizune gave in. She used her chopsticks to give Naruto a little food. His reaction was immediate. He made happy baby noise like there was not tomorrow. In fact, it almost sounded like he was purring.

Everyone thought it was cute and took a couple of moments to watch, before they continued eating. They still made small conversation. The meal was a comfortable one.

Tsunade was sipping her saki. She looked at Sarutobi and said, "Would you like to share a cup of saki with me. . . . It's good." She didn't offer the others any because she knew that Shizune didn't drink and the other two, she just didn't care about.

Sarutobi thought about it. "_It has been a while since I enjoy a nice cup of saki and relaxed._" With his mind made up, he said "I would enjoy that."

As she poured him a glass, Tsunade asked "So . . you Hokage again?" as she looked at his robs and hat. "Because if you aren't then why are you wearing your Hokage outfit?"

"Yes I am," Sarutobi told her. "Under the circumstances, I was the only one available to take up the position." He said this calmly as he thought "_You or Jiraiya should be taking the job, not making an old man come out of retirement_."

"How's being Hokage again treating you?" Tsunade asked in a bit of a sarcastic tone. She already knew the job was hard and difficult, especially after all the rants she hear from him about the job. She just couldn't help teasing him a bit.

Sighing, Sarutobi said "It is demanding."

"I bet it is." Tsunade chuckled a little darkly. "With some of the rumors I've heard, you are going to have your hands full for years to come." Then a little more sympathetically, she said "I hoped you enjoyed your retirement while it lasted, because you probably won't get it again." What she was talking about was the fact that most shinobi never lived long enough to retire.

"Well, you could always take that offer I gave you all those years ago," Sarutobi said in calm tone as he drank some of his saki. " . . and take the burden off my hands." He only said this jokingly, but Tsunade took it seriously

"Oh hell no. I don't ever want to be Hokage. That title is cursed." She was dead set against the idea.

The two older shinobi continued on for a while. By the time their conversation was finished, all the food was eaten. Sarutobi called Nakai over and asked for bill. When he got it, he decided to pay all of it. The way he saw it, that was the least he could do for Tsunade's help and the fact that she only had one bottle of saki didn't hurt either.

They left and went to Kyakushoubai, the hotel that Tsunade and Shizune were saying at. Their employer, Yutaka, was so pleased that they saved his son that he gave them permanent excess to a deluxe room. It was a large stylish looking hotel that was thirteen floors high. The building design was very interesting. Instead of corners, the building had round towers topped with glass domes. In the middle of the 4 glass domes was an even bigger one that acted as a roof for the main part of the building. All of this made the hotel look almost like a fortress. It was quite impressive.

They quickly walked through the hotel and entered their room. The place was huge and looked more like a large apartment than a hotel room. Across from the front door was a glass sliding door that lead out to a balcony. There was a door on the right side of the room with a grayish couch next to it. On the left was a hallway that lead to a couple of more rooms. If they had walked down this hallway, they would have seen the cozy kitchen at the end. In the middle of the room was a huge table with 4 chairs around it.

Tsunade took Naruto from Shizune and placed him on the table. She took a moment and looked to Sarutobi. "Has he been check out by anyone medically trained? "

"No," was Sarutobi's reply.

"That isn't good," Tsunade said in a serous tone. That made Kakashi, Itachi, and Sarutobi worry a bit.

Looking at Naruto, Tsunade shouted "Shizune."

The black haired kunoichi was quick to come to Tsunade's side. "Yes Lady Tsunade?"

"I need you to start a medical file for Naruto . . . . ." Tsunade paused and looked to Sarutobi. "What's his last name?"

"Uzumaki," answered Sarutobi.

Shizune wrote this down in the folder she had gotten.

When she heard that name, Tsunade was silent. Her clan, the Senju, and the Uzumaki clan were distant blood relatives. For a moment, she wondered if she and Naruto could possibly be related, but she quickly canceled that thought. The Uzumaki were eliminated years ago. The only remaining one was her friend Kushina. She couldn't help remembering how she met the hot blooded woman.

-Flashback no Jutsu-

Entering a popular shinobi only bar named Batenda's, Tsunade walked over and sat on a bar-stool. She had just finished a busy shift at the hospital and wanted a strong drink. When the bartender, a hulking man with an eye-patch over the left eye, asked her what she wanted, she told him "The strongest thing you got."

Batenda, the bartender, wanted to asked if she was sure, but the look on Tsunade's face told him not to argue. He told her it would take a minute and left to retrieve the alcohol from the backroom.

Tsunade was just sitting there, eating some popcorn from a little bowl, when Batenda placed a bottle and shot-glass in front of her. Looking at the bottle, she saw that it was call Jigoku no Kashu. She poured herself a shot and quickly downed it. "_This is pretty good stuff._" She did it again.

"I have never seem someone drink that much of Batenda's strongest alcohol so fast and not pass out," a voice said from behind Tsunade.

Turning around on her stool, Tsunade saw that the speaker was a redheaded woman. The bright red gave Kushina's identity right away.

"Well, no one besides me," Kushina boasted.

Raising an eyebrow, Tsunade said "Is that a fact?" in a challenging tone.

Kushina was never known to back down from a challenge and this time was not different. "And I bet you can't drink as much as me either." She walked over and sat at a stool next to Tsunade.

"_I haven't had a good drinking challenge in a while. She has no idea who she's messing with,_" Tsunade thought with a smirk. "You're on."

"NO!" shouted Batenda before anything could start, surprising the two kunoichi. "I will not let you," he pointed a Kushina, "get wasted in here again . . . Do you remember what happened the last time? Or did you black out and forget?"

Kushina tilted her head to the side and closed her eyes in thought. Her hand came up and a finger started tapping her lip. "_Hmmm, what did happen?_" After a moment, she remembered. "I wasn't that bad."

Batenda just stared at Kushina for a moment in silence."Wasn't that bad? Wasn't that BAD?! YOU FUCKING SMASHED A GUY'S FACE THROUGH MY POOL-TABLE." He took a couple of deep breaths after yelling. "_I have to say calm, my doctor said my blood pressure is to high._"

"But he touched my . . butt," Kushina said with a pout on her lips.

Rubbing his eyes with his hand, Batenda said in a fate tone "That's because you were dancing on a table and fell off into his lap."

"That didn't give him the right to start rubbing it."

"He was just trying . . ." the bartender started to say, but Kushina cut him off.

"But I have a designated not drinking person with me." She pointed over towards the bathrooms, where Minato was just walking out. "He's my boyfriend and he'll keep me out of trouble," Kushina assured Batenda.

Looking around for Kushina, Minato walked over when he spotted her by bar.

Just as he was going to ask what was going on, Batenda said "Fine, but he's not allowed any alcohol past his lips. And if anything happens . . . ." He left the threat hanging in the air as he pulled out a shot-glass and placed it in front of Kushina.

After the bartender walked away, Minato asked "What did you just sign me up for?" as he sat next to her.

Smiling, Kushina said "Just judging a small drinking contest between me and . . . " She stopped and turned towards Tsunade. "I never caught your name, mine is Kushina Uzumaki." She held her hand out towards Tsunade.

Shaking her hand, Tsunade said "I'm Tsunade Senju."

"I guess that makes us sort of clan cousins," Kushina said with a smile.

Returning her smile, Tsunade said "Well then cousin, let's begin this contest." She filled both shot-glasses and put them in front of Kushina. "I had two already, you don't want to be left behind do you?" Her voice had a mocking tone to it.

Kushina did both shots without a pause. "There." The sound of the second shot-glass landing could be heard. "Minato take note, We're both at 2 now."

"What? Why do I have to follow this?" a confused Minato asked.

"Because you're the judge, Honey." Kushina said in a sweet tone that told Minato not to refuse. "You have to remember how much each of us drinks so you can tell who wins." She sounded a peeved that Minato didn't seem to be following.

Nodding his head, Minato watched as they prepared another shot.

This went on for the rest of the night. The two women talked and chatted the whole time like the bestest of friends. By the end of the night, they had actually drank themselves unconscious, leaving Minato with the bill and making him carry them to his and Kushina's home.

The next morning, Minato told the very hungover kunoichi that they had drunk the same amount. This made the two laugh and say they would just have to do it again sometime.

-Flashback End no Jutsu-

"_We had that contest one more time and she won, but a while after that . . . I left the village. . . I wonder what ever happened between those two._" Shaking her head to get her mind out of the past, Tsunade turned towards Sarutobi and asked "Now is there anything I should know about Naruto before I start?" Tsunade gave the old man a look that demanded he give her the truth. She felt like she was missing something important, even though she knew what he was.

Sighing, Sarutobi thought "_I was hoping to tell her later._" He pulled a bunch of paper seals out. On the middle of each one was the symbol for silence in a circle. "Kakashi, Itachi." When the two were standing in front of him, he handed half of the seals to each of them. "I want you to put one of these on the middle of each wall of every room here."

With their order, the two shinobi left. They walked through every room and placed the seals in the appropriate places. When Kakashi and Itachi finished, they came back to Sarutobi.

"Finished?," asked Sarutobi. He got a nod in reply. "Can you two play with Naruto for a bit?" He handed Naruto's 4 stuffed animals to Kakashi.

Kakashi and Itachi knew that even though Sarutobi had asked this, it was not a question. They didn't mind, in fact they looked happy. Itachi walked over and picked up Naruto. He and Kakashi (who had the stuffed animals in his hands) walked over to the couch and sat down.

Turing towards Tsunade and Shizune, he said "Now what I tell you is a S rank secret. I don't want you telling ANYONE about this." His tone was strong and serious. Looking directly at Shizune, who was writing in a folder, he said "And I don't want you writing this down." He saw her put the folder down and continued. "Let me tell you everything before you say anything." When he saw the two kunoichi nod, he began his tale. The attacked by the Kyuubi, the destruction, the lives lost, the loss of the Fourth Hokage, and how the demon was sealed in Naruto. When he finished, he looked at the two kunoichi to see their reactions.

Shizune had tears running down her cheeks. She was staring over at the couch, watching as Kakashi and Itachi played with a giggling Naruto. What she heard and was seeing didn't match up in her mind.

Tsunade had a blank look on her face as she thought about what she heard. This new information made her completely forget about Naruto being a Uzumaki for the time being. The only thought in her mind was "_Konohagakure truly is cursed._"

It was silent for a few moments before Tsunade said "Well . . . that explains a lot, but not why you needed me."

Sarutobi then told them about how he told the village and what happened with his secretary.

This got more tears from Shizune.

Tsunade was a different story. Staring Sarutobi in the eyes, she said in an pissed tone, "That was stupid of you. What did you think would happen? That the village would see him as a hero or something."

The look on Sarutobi's face told her that was exactly what he thought would happen. "You have got to be kidding me." She put a hand on the side of her face. "How could you think they would be able to see past their hatred and see him for what he is . . . a baby?

Sighing, Sarutobi's shoulders dropped a little."It was Minato's dieing wish that Naruto be seen as a hero. I thought they would have at least honor a Hokage's last request." He sounded tired as he spoke.

Tsunade could see how Sarutobi could think that. "While yelling at you some more would make me feel better, it wouldn't change a thing." She paused and looked at Shizune, who was trying to dry her tears. In a strong tone, she said "Shizune, we have a job to do."

Wiping her eyes and cheeks, Shizune took on a determined look. She pick up Naruto's folder and said "Yes Lady Tsunade."

The two walked over to the couch and Tsunade gently took Naruto from Kakashi and Itachi. She placed the infant on the table and removed all of his clothes until he was just in a diaper. Then she hovered her hand over Naruto's naked belly. Her hand glowed a bright green. The green chakra encased her hand before extending down to Naruto. The moment the chakra connected, the seal holding the Kyuubi became visible. Tsunade starred at it for a moment before resuming the checkup. Every so often she would tell Shizune something to write down.

They continued on like this for a while. They measured his length (which would later be referred to as his height once he's walking), weight, and head circumference. Tsunade listened to his heart and his stomach, to make sure that everything was alright.

Now the next part would be a little difficult. They had to draw blood from Naruto and give him an immunization shot . "Shizune," Tsunade said. "I want you to hold Naruto while I prepare a shot for him. Then I need to take a blood sample." Usually they would have one of the kid's parents hold him while the baby was given a shot. It helped to keep the infant calm. Since his parents weren't available, Tsunade decided to have Shizune hold Naruto and she would handle the needles. Tsunade's haemophobia wouldn't be a problem because as long as the blood wasn't freely flowing in large amounts, it didn't bother her too much.

Shizune walked over to the baby and picked him up. She sat down on the couch, then started to rock the child a bit and made the slug plushie (her favorite) dance. She was holding him so that his right arm was away from her.

While Shizune kept Naruto busy, Tsunade got the things she needed ready. Walking up to the two, she just watched for a few moments. Then she sat down next to them and placed everything she would need on her other side. There were two needles (one was full and the other was empty), a bottle of a numbing disinfectant solution, a jar of cotton balls and two small bandages. Opening the disinfectant, she took a cotton ball and held it to the bottle's opening. Then she tipped it so some of the solution got on the cotton ball. When she was finished, she recapped the bottle. Taking the cotton, she rubbed it in a circle on Naruto's right upper arm. She saw that the baby was still distracted. Naruto was sucking on the stuffed slug's eye and staring at Shizune as she played peek-a-boo with him. He didn't even notice what Tsunade was doing, exactly what the two kunoichi wanted.

Tsunade took the full needle and held it up so that Shizune could see it. Getting a nod from Shizune, she got in position to give Naruto his immunization shot. Quickly and gently, she pressed the needle's tip into Naruto's skin and pushed the plunger down. They had hoped he was distracted enough that he might not notice, but he wasn't. He started to cry and wiggle, trying to get away. Trying to lessen his movement, Shizune hugged him and Tsunade took a strong yet soft hold of his arm. His cries were loud and almost distracted them, but the two medical-nin stayed focused.

When the needle was empty, it was quickly removed. Tsunade place it to the side and handed another cotton ball to Shizune. While holding the cotton to the small puncture hole, she just comforted Naruto a little bit because they weren't done yet. They still had to draw some blood. She removed the small bit of cotton so Tsunade could put a bandage on it.

Tsunade grabbed another cotton ball and repeated what she did earlier with the bottle of numbing disinfectant. She grabbed the empty needle and was ready to get Naruto's blood sample. Shizune gave Naruto a hug before repositioning herself and him so Tsunade could get at his other arm.

When Tsunade touched the cotton ball to his upper arm, he flinch away and cried a little more in fear. This time the two kunoichi grabbed him before he could really start to struggle. Their hold was strong but gentle. Tsunade carefully stuck the needle into his arm. He screamed. The plunger was quickly pulled up and his blood sample was taken. Another cotton ball was place over this puncture hole to stop the blood. After a moment, it was removed and a bandage was put in its place. Tsunade took everything she brought over to the couch and put it all on the table. Picking up the needle full of blood, Tsunade looked over at Shizune. Normally she would have her assistant do things like this blood test, but she decided to handle it herself. "_She's busy enough with Naruto,_" she thought. She grabbed the needle full of blood as she walked to the door next to couch and went through. The door was left open just a small crack, so you couldn't see what was going on in the room.

Once they were done, Shizune was so busy with Naruto that she didn't notice Tsunade had left. She wrapped Naruto in a tight hug and tried to calm him down. She rubbed his back as she gently rocked him and murmured sweet words in his ear. "It's okay now Naruto. No more shots, it's all over." Looking down at his face, she saw that Naruto had tear marks running down his cheeks. He looked sort of like a kicked puppy, all adorably sad and making you want to do anything to make him feel better.

After a few minutes, Naruto was in dreamland. It was partially from Shizune's actions but mostly because he had actually stressed himself out so much.

Now as all this was going on, the three males had listened and watch the examination. Itachi and Sarutobi had taken a seat at the table in the center of the room and sat there quietly. Kakashi chose to lean on the wall across from the couch and read his book. He had place himself so he could easily shift his eye up from his book and see what was going on. Some may think that he found the orange book more interesting, but that was not the case. He was having trouble reading it, in fact he had re-read the same paragraph 5 times without realizing it.

When Naruto screamed, all three men flinched. Sarutobi was able to collect himself easily, but Kakashi and Itachi weren't so lucky. Chills ran up and down their spins. Kakashi almost dropped his book. Flashes of what happened with the Hokage's secretary run across their minds. They both felt bad and were sure it was their faults. This feeling continued on for a bit even after everything happened.

"What would you like me to do with Naruto? He fell asleep," Shizune asked.

Sarutobi, Itachi, and Kakashi looked over and saw that she was surrounded by the stuffed snake, slug, and toad. The plush monkey was being snuggled by Naruto. Sarutobi couldn't help taking another picture. He wait until Shizune was gazing down at Naruto before he took it. "_That is such a touching scene._" After a few seconds, he answered her. "Well, we still have to find somewhere to stay so you can hand him back to me."

Looking down at Naruto, Shizune said "Why don't you just stay with us."

"I don't want to impose," Sarutobi said. "It will only take a little while to find a place to stay."

"We have the extra space and it's not being used." Shizune was trying to convince him to stay. Looking out the window, she said "It is getting late and you will have a hard time finding a room." She gave Sarutobi a pleading look. "Please, just stay here and save yourself some time."

Sarutobi gave his answer by saying "Thank you. . . . where should we put his crib?"

"Well . . ." Shizune tapped her chin in thought. Getting up and walking over to the right of the sliding door, she said "Why don't we put it right here?" She gestured to the spot with her free hand.

"_That would leave him open to a possible attack,_" Sarutobi thought. "_Hmm . . . If I take the wristbands from the security barrier we used in the forest and alter some of the seals, it can be linked to the silence seals._" With this in mind, he agreed to the location. Unsealing Naruto's stuff, Kakashi and Itachi put the crib in place. It was designed so it was raised off the ground to around waist level, making it more like a changing table/crib. They also grabbed the three stuffed animals from the couch and put them in the crib.

Looking to Shizune, Sarutobi asked "Do you want to get Naruto ready for bed?"

Thinking about it for a moment, she answered with a slight nod. Sarutobi handed her a new diaper, wipes, and a light blue onesie. Shizune changed Naruto and redressed him without waking him at all. The baby was then placed in his crib for the night. Shizune just stood there for a few moments, staring down at the silently sleeping baby. "_It's hard to believe something so innocent looking could hold something so evil in it. . . . And I can't even image someone hurting him because of it._"

Just as Shizune finished tucking Naruto in, Tsunade walked back into the room. She was writing something in Naruto's medical file so she didn't see the crib at first. "I discovered a few . . interesting . . . things . . . about . . . . Naruto. . ." She trailed off once she saw the crib and the sleeping baby. It took just moments for her to put the pieces together. Whirling around, she faced Shizune and shot a glare at her. "You INVITED them to stay without even asking me," she shouted. She sounded very angry.

Shrinking back a little, Shizune thought "_I didn't think she would be so upset, maybe a little, but not this much._" She then stood up a little straighter and said "This is THE HOKAGE we are talking about. .. . They needed a place to say and we have all this extra unused space." She gestured her arms outward and around the room. "I thought it wouldn't be that big of a deal."

Sighing, Tsunade said in a clearly agitated tone "They can stay, but next time just ask me before you offering people a place to stay." This wasn't the real reason she was upset. The fact was that Sarutobi showing up for help had dug up some bad memories from the past. She was hopping that after she gave them the details about Naruto's checkup, they would leave and she could spend the rest of time here avoiding them. Now that they were staying in the room, that hope was dashed to pieces. She sat down at the table across from Sarutobi.

"Maybe we should leave." What Sarutobi just said was the same thought going through Kakashi's and Itachi's minds. He started to get up when Tsunade stopped him.

"It's fine," Tsunade lied as she gestured for him to sit back down, which he did. "I discovered a few unusual things about Naruto."

This got Shizune, Sarutobi, Kakashi and Itachi a little worried and it must of shown because Tsunade said "Nothing bad, just unusual . . . Why don't you all sit down and I'll tell you."

Itachi was still seated so that Sarutobi was to his left and Tsunade was to his right. Taking the remaining seat, Shizune sat across from Itachi. Now this left Kakashi with nowhere to sit. He didn't seem to mind because he didn't move at all from his spot.

Seeing this, Tsunade said "Hey book boy."

"Yeah," he lazily replied without looking up from his book.

His tone and non-action only served to really piss Tsunade off. "I told everyone to sit DOWN."

"Well," Kakashi said drawing out the word. He looked at her before continuing. "If you haven't noticed, there are no more seats available." He sounded like he was talking to a child.

"Why you little sh. . ." Tsunade didn't finish her sentence because Shizune cut her off.

"Kakashi," the black haired kunoichi said as she placed a hand on Tsunade's should to keep the woman from getting up. "_She'd probably smash him through a wall,_" Shizune idly thought. "Why don't you go down that hallway," she pointed off to the left, "and get a chair?" She tried to sound reasonable and keep the pleading out of her voice.

For a few seconds, Kakashi just stood there. He then closed his book and walked off to get a chair. He was quick and returned with the seat. Walking around the table, he place the chair between Itachi and Sarutobi.

Once Kakashi was settled, Tsunade spoke. "As I was saying, I found some interesting things during Naruto's checkup." She handed the Naruto's medical file to Sarutobi. "I wrote everything down in his file, but I'm going to explain it to you. . . . .Everything checks out great. He is one of the healthiest babies I have ever seen." She paused for a second. "Almost too healthy."

This got slightly confused looks from the others at the table.

"From the blood test I ran, his healing process is far more advanced than that of anyone I've ever met . . . . It is possible that any wounds Naruto gets could heal within minutes of receiving it." She paused for a second, then said "Also, normal infants are . . ." Tsunade tapped her chin in thought. "How should I put it?" After a second of thinking, she said "In the first few weeks, babies are usually less active than Naruto."

"_I did kind of noticed that,_" Sarutobi thought.

"There is one more thing," Tsunade said. "His senses are much more advanced than they should be. This just means he will see, hear, smell, taste, and feel things better then most people." Almost as an afterthought, she add in a mindful tone "He is going to be quite a picky eater as he gets older."

"That should give him an advantage in being a shinobi, like the Inuzuka, right? " Kakashi asked, looking for a conformation. "_I've seen them in action. He'd __definitely__ have a one up on the other children in the academy._"

"If by that you mean he'll have a sensitivity to bright light, loud sounds, and strong smells," Tsunade said in a condescending tone towards Kakashi. She even shot a look at him that said he was an idiot. "He'll even feel more pain from a wound."

After a moment, Tsunade turned towards Sarutobi and said "If you are really thinking about having Naruto follow the path of the shinobi . . .," Sarutobi nodded his head yes, " . . . then he is going to eventually need help to deal with this sensitivity." In a serious tone, she said "I hope you aren't just trying to use the kid."

Sarutobi felt almost insulted, but he remained calm. He could see how she could think something like. "I plan on having him join the academy as soon as he can. Firstly, so he can learn to defend himself and other life skills. And secondly, the law will be on his side because if anyone tries to hurt or hinder a shinobi in training, they are dealt with quickly." The way he said made it obvious that they were most likely killed. He was silent for a moment before continuing in slightly defeated tone. "I can't always go out of my way for Naruto or the village will accuse me of picking favorites." The ramification of that happening would make it harder for Sarutobi to help Naruto.

It was silent for a few moments before Kakashi spoke. "It almost sounds like Naruto has a kekkei genkai." He sounded thoughtful as he tapped his chin. "_I know he doesn't have one, but fast healing and extreme senses, that sounds like a bloodline to me._"

Tsunade shook her head. "No it isn't. . . . If I had to guess, it's the results of containing the Kyuubi."

That last statement caused silence to cover the room.

After a moment, Tsunade pushed back her seat and stood up. She walked over toward the hallway, but stopped at the entrance way. Looking over her should, she said "His abilities may not be a kekkei genkai for him, but if he ever has any children . . . . they might become a bloodline." Once she was finished speaking, she walked out of view.

When Tsunade didn't return, Shizune figured she was done talked with them. "_I wish she was a little more polite . . . we have guests._" Turning towards Sarutobi, she said "I think I'll be turning in now, we have to get up early and check on Yutaka's son. Down the hallway, there are a couple of rooms you three can use." She paused for a moment, not sure what to say. "So, . . Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Shizune," replied Itachi before anyone else could. This got him a look from Kakashi, which he ignored.

Once Shizune walked through the door on the right, Sarutobi turned towards Kakashi and Itachi. "I think we should also turn in. I was hoping to go around town a bit tomorrow and wanted to get an early start." The two ANBU captains nodded.

The three walked towards the hallway. Sarutobi knew that Tsunade was at the end of the hall, but decided to leave her alone. "_I think she needs some alone time._" He took the first room they came across. As Kakashi and Itachi walked by, Sarutobi paused opening the door and said "Goodnight boys." They replied in kind. He entered his room and the ANBU captains entered the second room that they would be sharing.

With that they all started to settle in for the night.

====================================In Kakashi's and Itachi's room====================================

The room that Itachi and Kakashi were sharing was a decent size. It had two single beds with the headboards on the left side of the room. There was a small bookcase between the beds with a lamp on the top. It was a little surprising that the bookcase was actually full of different books. On the other sides of each bed was a small night-table with a single drawer. On the right side of the room was a dresser with six drawers arrange in two columns of three.

Once in the room, the two started to get ready for the night.

Itachi unsealed his things from his two scrolls. Putting his clothes and equipment into the right side of the dresser, he took out a plain black pair of pajamas and changed. He didn't have a problem changing in front of Kakashi because they were both men and more importantly they are close friends. Sometimes you couldn't tell in public, but in private, they were more open. They even go to a hot spring together after really tough missions.

When he finished changing and turned around, Itachi saw that Kakashi was already laying down and had his face buried in his book. He was in a similar pair of blue pajamas.

Walking over to the other bed, Itachi pulled down the blankets and got in. He laid his head on the pillow and turned over so that his back was towards Kakashi. He figured his roommate would be busy with his book for a bit before going to sleep.

Just as Itachi was falling asleep, Kakashi said "So . . . What's up with you and Shizune?"

Turning over and using an elbow to prop himself up, Itachi saw that Kakashi was still facing his book. "N-nothing is going on." He tried to sound neutral, but his stumble gave him away.

"You have a bit of a crush on her, don't you." Kakashi faced Itachi as he spoke. "What are you going to do about it?"

"I do NOT have a crush on Shizune." This time Itachi was able to sound convincing, but Kakashi wouldn't let him off that easily.

"You don't?," Kakashi asked as he arched an eyebrow. "So if I were to hit on her, you wouldn't have a problem?"

Instead of answering his question, Itachi asked his own. "Why would you want to do that?" He almost sounded a bit defensive.

Kakashi slowly put his book down on his night-table. Then he turned back towards Itachi with a looked that said are you stupid. "Why would I do that." He sounded like he was mocking Itachi. Shaking his head and siting up, he said "Itachi, Itachi, Itachi . . . why wouldn't I want to do that?"

After a second of Itachi not replying, Kakashi continued. "Did you see the curves on her?" He gestured with his hands like he was running his hands over a woman's curves. "If I could get my hands," he wiggled his fingers, almost like he was going to grope something, "on her . . . ."

Itachi cut him off by shouting "DON'T SAY THAT ABOUT HER." He was quiet enough that he wouldn't disturb anyone. When he realized the way he reacted, his cheeks burned with a very small blush.

"I was only teasing," Kakashi said as he eye smiled at the reaction he got. "I'm not really interested in her. . . . I was just wondering what you are going to do about it?

Uncertainty clouded Itachi's mind. "I don't know," he sighed in defeat. This had never happened to him before and he had no idea what he was going to do. Give him an A-rank mission, that he could handle, but this was so out of his area of expertise.

Giving him a sincere look, Kakashi said "Don't worry about it." He started to lay down. "Go with the flow and it will come naturally if it was meant to be." Reaching for the lamp, he turned off the light. "Just got to sleep for now and think about it later." It seems he was more tired than he looked because he quickly fell asleep.

Taking Kakashi's advice, Itachi laid down fully and tried to sleep. His last conscious thought before sleep took him was "_Shizune sure is pretty._"


	5. Ch 02 part 2: Tsunade's Choice

Author Notes: This is the second part of the chapter. I only split it up because it felt right to do so. I wanted to post it at the same time as part 1, but I ran out of time and needed to go to work.

_Thoughts = "Man, that girl is HOT."_

**Demon or Summons** = **"I'M THE KING OF HELL. BOW BEFORE ME, MORTAL."**

_**Demon or Summons Thoughts**_ = "_**Do I look good in this? . . . . Wait, of course I do, I'm a succubus. I look sexy in everything.**_"

_**Other voices in head**_= "_What's the answer to this math problem?_" "_**It's 4. Trust me, I'm in your head.**_"

Other languages = "I'm a dog barking. I love my master."

Medical Strings Ch 02 part 2: Tsunade's Choice

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++With Tsunade+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

When Tsunade had finished telling Sarutobi the results of Naruto's checkup, she had gone to the kitchen. All of this was stressing her out. "_I could use a drink._" She walked over to the refrigerator. Right before she opened it, she noticed a sticky note siting on the door. She picked it up and read. "_Tsunade, thanks for all you did. I left you a little something in the fridge. -Yutaka._" She crumpled up the note and threw it into a nearby trashcan, then turned her attention back to the refrigerator. The first thing she saw when she opened the door, was the rack holding several different bottles of alcohol. For a moment, she just stood there and admired the view.

"Thanks Yutaka," she said out loud. She decided to look through some of the bottles because she wanted to see the selection. It would also allow her to avoid everyone for a bit longer. She picked up a bottle and looked at its label. It was a 6 year old white wine. She didn't feel like wine, so she placed it back and picked up another bottle. This one was a year old junmai-shu saki. "_I already had saki today,_" she thought as she put the bottle back and chose another. This one was a 4 year old bottle of vodka. She decided on this one and closed the fridge. Grabbing a cup, she headed out of the kitchen.

When Tsunade was back in the living room, she placed the bottle and cup down on the table. She grabbed a chair and brought it out to the balcony. Going back to the table, she got the bottle and cup. Then she went back to the balcony and sat down. She poured herself a glass of vodka and placed the bottle on the ground next to her. Looking up at the sky, she saw that all the stars were out and the moon was full. It was a lovely night, but Tsunade couldn't help frowning. She gulped down all of her drink and quickly poured herself another. This was repeated a couple of times, until she felt a good buzz. She could have made it so she didn't get drunk, but not this time. The good feeling was fully embraced with the hope that her bad memories would be washed away.

But it wasn't working. Everything was too much and too similar for Tsunade to suppress the horrible memory anymore. It replayed in her mind like it was happening right in front of her eyes.

-Flashback no Jutsu-

It had been a month since Tsunade and Shizune left Konohagakure. Everything was going fine for a while, but they were running out of money. With some convincing from Shizune, it was decided that they would treat people for money. That way, they could earn money and Tsunade could teach Shizune at the same time.

They had been doing this for a week when they came to Yogore Mazushii. It was a small poor town outside of Tsuchi no Kuni (Land of Earth). They were just passing through, on their way to a big job.

As they were walking, a woman stopped them. She looked to be in her thirties. Her skin was a bit pale. Her hare was a black color with a hint of green. It was cut in a way that made it very short and look like she did it herself. She was wearing a full body white dress with long sleeves and covered all of her legs. It also covered her neck like a turtleneck. There was a very simple pair of white sandals on her feet. Her outfit looked like it had seen better days.

"I'm Penyakit and I need your help," she said in a pleading tone.

"How do you know we can . . . ." Tsunade started to ask, but was cutoff by Penyakit.

"You are the world renown medical-nin Tsunade," Penyakit stated. "I recognized you."

"Well, we're on our way somewhere . . . so I'm sorry." Tsunade sounded indifferent as she said this. She figured the woman wouldn't be able to pay them, so she was trying to brush her off.

Hearing the way Tsunade was speaking, Penyakit fell to knees and started to beg. "Please." Tears were running down her cheeks. She was so desperate that she grabbed on to Tsunade's shirt. "Please, you are the only one who can save my daughter, Murni."

The mother's heartfelt plea got to Shizune. She turned to Tsunade and said "We can spare the time, we have a couple of days before we have to be there."

Sighing, Tsunade said "Fine, we'll help." She gently pushed Penyakit away from her .

For a few seconds, Penyakit just sat there surprised that they were going to help.

"Get up and take us to your daughter." Tsunade was getting impatient, waiting for the woman.

This got Penyakit going. She quickly got to her feet and said "Thank you so much, Tsunade-sama." She started leading them to her house. After a small walk, they were standing in front of a small cabin. It looked a bit rundown, but still nice looking.

They entered and the two kunoichi saw the inside. The place didn't have many furnishings. It only had four rooms: a living room, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a bedroom.

"So, where's your daughter?" asked Tsunade. She wanted to get straight to business. It was getting late and she didn't want to spend to much time here.

"Right over here," answered Penyakit as she walked over and opened a door on the right. She walked into the room with Tsunade and Shizune behind her. The medical-nin brought their baggage with them because they didn't know if they would need their medical equipment or not.

This was the bedroom. The only lighting was a couple of small lanterns. It had a single bed and a crib. The crib was under a window. In the far left corner was a rocking-chair and next to that was a small bookcase that had folded clothes on it. In the crib was Murni.

Placing their stuff by the door, the two medical-nins walked over and looked down at their current patient. The child looked almost a year old. Murni was asleep and wearing a light pink onesie. She had the same colored hair and skin as her mother.

"_This might be a good chance to have Shizune practice handling an examination herself._" With her mind decided, Tsunade turned towards her apprentice and said "I would like you to preform the examination this time."

"_She w-wants m-m-me to do this m-m-myself?!,_" Shizune worried thought. A nervous look came to her face.

Seeing the look on the young woman's face, Tsunade bluntly said "Don't worry about it . . . if you mess up, I'm here to fix it." Seeing that this didn't reassure Shizune, Tsunade said "I wouldn't ask you to do this if I didn't know you could." This time her words worked and Shizune started the examination.

While Shizune used a medical ninjutsu to scan Murni, Tsunade stepped back and observed. After a few moments, Shizune stopped the ninjutsu with a confused look on her face and undress the baby. She did this gently so as not to wake the infant. The first thing that they noticed, once the onesie was out of the way, was that Murni had open sores all over her body. The sores looked painful and it was surprising that the baby didn't wake up from Shizune handling her or removing the onesie.

Simultaneously, Tsunade and Shizune turned towards Penyakit, looking for an answer.

At first, all they got were more tears and sobs from the mother. Eventually, Penyakit calmed herself down enough so she could answer the medical-nins' looks. "I don't know how Murni got them . . . they just started showing up one day. They don't cause her much pain . . . It's almost like they are numb."

That was all she said and it was enough for Tsunade and Shizune. Shizune started her jutsu up again and finished the examination. She started to explain to Tsunade what her findings were.

Penyakit tried to follow what they were saying, but they were using so many medical terms that she didn't understand. She almost wanted to yell at them and ask what they were talking about. She decided against that because she was afraid they might stop and leave.

After the two medical-nins discussed Shizune's findings, Tsunade examined Murni. She just want to confirm her apprentice's diagnosis. Once she was finished and saw that Shizune was correct, Tsunade turned towards Penyakit. She decided she would give the mother the news because Shizune had never done it before and she didn't want her first time to be giving bad news.

"Penyakit," Tsunade said in a calm and neutral tone. "I would like to tell you what the results of the examination are. Could you please sit down." She gestured to the bed, wanting her to sit there, and watched as Penyakit slowly took the seat.

"What is the wrong with my little Murni?" Penyakit asked even though she felt like she would hate the answer.

"It seem your daughter has Diri Penolakan," Tsunade stated. "It is a genetic condition, meaning that there is no cure for it." She saw that this upset Penyakit, but the mother tried to stay focused even as a few more tears ran down her cheeks. Tsunade waited a few moments before continuing. "It is referred to as the disease of self-rejection. This is because the body's immune system, which is suppose to defend against diseases, is attacking everything . . . including itself. It's basically like the body can't tell what is good or bad. The sores are from the body breaking itself down. She doesn't feel much pain from them, like you said, because they are numb. This numbness is happening because the flesh is essentially dieing.. . . . and this is all just the beginning." She paused for a moment, so this could sink in for Penyakit. "The sores are going to get worst and deeper, until it reaches the bones. Then it will eat away at the bones." She took a moment to think. "_It's going to be like her daughter's body is rotting away. The smell will be horrible and the sores might even get maggots._" Picturing it was enough to make Tsunade almost shudder and that made her decide not to tell Penyakit about it. "As this is going on, the numbness will eventually go away and the pain will get worst. How fast all this happens depends on so many things that it's impossible to figure out." Tsunade knew that she was painting a pretty grim picture, but she didn't want to give false hope.

All that could be heard for a while was the mother's sobs. She pictured what was going to happen to Murni and was horrified by it.

Tsunade and Shizune sat there silently and gave her all the time she needed.

It took some time, but eventually Penyakit asked in a desperate voice "Is there anything that can be done?"

Shaking her head, Tsunade said "There's nothing you can do to stop it." This made Penyakit slump downward in defeat. At this point she couldn't cry anymore because she had run out of tears.

Seeing this, Tsunade decided to throw her a bone. She went over to her bag and started rummaging around. She found what she was looking for and returned to Penyakit. "There may be no way of stopping it from happening, but this," she held out a bottle towards the woman, "will help diminish the pain."

Penyakit slowly took the bottle. Her defeated position didn't change as she stared at the small glass bottle. This didn't make her feel better at all. It still meant that her daughter would suffer. She continued to stare at the bottle as she asked in a dead tone "Will Murni die from this condition?" She spoke just barely above a whisper.

"No," was all Tsunade said. "_I don't know if that is good news or bad._"

The room fell into silence. It was broken by Tsunade saying "I'm sorry, but we have got to be going. It's getting late." After those words left her mouth, she quickly started to rush out the door. She didn't even check to see if Shizune was behind her. She walked out the front door and into the night. It was true when she said it was getting late, but that wasn't the reason why she was in such a hurry to leave. The truth was that this situation was getting to her a little. It reminded her a bit of loosing her little brother.

Only when she was about 15 feet away from the house, did Tsunade slow down. She turned to the side and saw that Shizune was a few feet behind her. She stopped moving and waited until her apprentice was besides her before she continued walking.

They walked for a bit in silence.

Out of nowhere, Shizune said "Oh my." As Tsunade turned towards her, Shizune continued speaking. "I seem to have left my backpack behind." She sounded a bit nervous. "I'll just be a moment as I go get it."

Shizune went back to the house, leaving Tsunade standing there alone. The older medical-nin looked up and saw that the moon was full. It was high in the sky and so bright that she had no problem seeing. She let her mind wander for a bit. After a few seconds, she couldn't help thinking "_I can't image how hard this must be for Penyakit. . . . I don't know if it's better to live in constant pain or to die and not have to suffer . . . . I'm glad I don't have to answer that._" She was broken out of her thoughts by a scream. The moment she heard it, she was moving as fast as she could towards Penyakit's house.

That scream was not from just anyone, it was from Shizune. And it was stirring something in Tsunade she hadn't felt in a long time, maternal instinct.

Tsunade didn't bother opening the front door. Using her superior strength, the door was reduced to a pile of splinters. She rushed to the open door of the bedroom. When she entered the room, all she was concerned with was getting to Shizune. She was so focused on it that nothing really registered in her mind until she saw the girl. Not Shizune's open backpack, the contents allover the floor, or the creaking of the rocking-chair.

Off to the right of the room was Shizune. She was just sitting there on her knees with her arms limp at her sides. There were tears flowing down her cheeks and there was a lost look in her eyes. The way she was position made it look like she had slowly crumbled to the floor.

Tsunade was quickly kneeling in front of her apprentice. She reached out and placed her hand on Shizune's shoulder. She gave a gentle push as she said "Shizune?" She got no reply from the almost comatose girl. After waiting a few moments, she pushed a little harder and said her name louder. She still didn't get a reaction from Shizune. The girl just sat there, unresponsive. Tsunade was honestly starting to worry about the way Shizune was acting.

Getting desperate, Tsunade raised her hand to slap Shizune across the face. Before she could start to swing her arm, she noticed the creaking noise for the first time and froze. The noise had an almost ominous sound to it. Shinobi instincts finally overrode her maternal ones, and she realized someone was in the room with them. She figured that they were in the rocking-chair behind her. She started to put some of the pieces together. "_Whatever is behind me, caused Shizune to freak out._" Almost apprehensively, she turned around. The sight that met her eyes took a moment to fully settle in her mind and when it did, she was horrified.

Penyakit was sitting in the rocking-chair, with Murni in her arms. She was smiling down at her daughter as she rocked. It could almost have passed as the perfect picture of motherhood, but it was really a twisted perversion of it. Every time Penyakit rocked, the baby's head and neck would move in such a way that Tsunade could tell something was wrong.

"_Murni's neck is broken._" Tsunade almost wished she had no medical training just so she could have been in the dark a little longer. She stood up and walked a few feet towards the woman. Tsunade looked at the child and at the moment, fate chose to confirm Murni's death. The infant's head flopped to the side so that the broken bone dented the skin. It didn't break through, but it was still sickening to look at.

All Tsunade could say at the moment was "Why?" She felt so many mixed emotions.

Penyakit looked up and smiled at Tsunade. There weren't any new tears on her face, just the remains from before. "I couldn't let my little Murni suffer, so I did what I had to do to protect her." She looked down and affectionately cupped her baby's cheek, rubbing it a bit. Then she moved the head so that it looked like the infant was asleep. It was hard to tell that Murni was dead and not just sleeping. As she gazed down at Murni, Penyakit lovingly said "My precious little baby. I did this to save you . . . .You are in a better place now, where nothing can ever hurt you." Penyakit bent down and kissed Murni's forehead. "Mommy loves you." From here, she started to ramble on in an insane manner.

Tsunade stopped listening. She didn't know what to think, but her emotions had finally chose what to feel . . . .BLINDING RAGE.

Leaping forward, Tsunade collide with Penyakit. The chair was smashed to piece. The infant's corpse flew over and crashed into the bookcase, breaking a couple of the shelves. The bookcase fell over and hide Murni's body from view. And Tsunade ended up straddling Penyakit's chest. Her hands were around the mother's neck and she was squeezing as hard as she could. Penyakit's neck was quickly broken, but that didn't stop Tsunade. She kept on crushing.

Eventually, Tsunade calmed down and stopped. She finally looked down and saw what she had done with a clear mind. Penyakit lay there and in death, her eyes were wide open in fear. There were indents and bruising around her neck in the shape of Tsunade's hands.

Tsunade was ashamed and disgusted that she lost control of herself. But if she was honest with herself, she didn't really feel bad about killing Penyakit.

Standing up and turning around, Tsunade realized that Shizune was watching her. The girl's eyes looked a little more focused. Shizune looked like she was still upset, but was coming around. Tsunade took a step towards her and Shizune flinched back, falling back onto her ass. Immediately, Tsunade froze. She looked at a panic stricken Shizune and assessed the situation. "_She's still in shock and seeing me loose control didn't help. . . It seems if I get any closer to her, that she will flee into the night. And in her current condition, who knows what will happen._"

For what felt like hours, but was really seconds, the two just faced each other in silence.

Tsunade didn't know what to do. "_How do you help someone when you are one of the things freaking them out? If only she didn't see any of this . . . ._" Her thoughts went blank after thinking that, as an idea formed in her mind. "_Maybe that is the answer._" She quickly dashed forward before Shizune could move. Her right hand glowed a dark green color as the open palm struck the girl in the center of the forehead. Shizune ended up on her back with Tsunade leaning over her. When Shizune started to struggle, the older kunoichi used her free hand to restrain the girl.

Shizune stared up at Tsunade with a look on her face that killed the blonde's heart. It was a look of fear, betrayal and distress.

"I'm sorry," Tsunade quietly said as she sent a small pulse of chakra into Shizune's head. The girl's struggle a little more as her eyes glowed the same color as the chakra. Then her struggles started to lessen and her eyes began to close. She tried to fight it, but it was so hard and she was getting so tired. She felt like she was falling asleep.

When Shizune was fully and deeply asleep, Tsunade released the girl. She continued with the chakra for a little bit more before stopping. Standing up, Tsunade walked away from Shizune and started to pick things up. As she did this, she thought about what she just did to her apprentice.

It was a jutsu called Kenbosho no Tenohira or as others like to call it, The Palm of Amnesia. It was used to make someone forget. The jutsu worked by erasing a person's memory from the point the jutsu began backwards. For example, if you wanted to erase a memory of something that happen a year ago, then you would have to remove that whole year to get to it. The amount forgotten depends on how much chakra was applied. They also could never get the memory back because it was permanently eliminate.

Tsunade felt bad about using it on Shizune and forcibly stealing the last 24 hours of her memory. "_I did it for her own good._" She kept telling herself this, trying to convince herself, but she still felt like she had crossed a line.

When Tsunade finished repacking Shizune's backpack, she put it on. Then she walked over to her sleeping assistant and looked at her. "_She should be out for the next 12 hours. When she wakes up she is going to have a migraine._" She bend down, picked Shizune up bridal style and left.

The next morning, Shizune woke up to a painful headache. She tried to remember what happened, but thinking was too painful. Her hand went to her head and she felt that it was wrapped in a bandage. Sitting up in the bed she occupied, Shizune looked around. The room she was in looked like a simple hotel room. She saw that Tsunade was asleep in a cushy looking recliner by the bed.

Shizune's stirring must have awoken Tsunade because she said "How do you feel?"

It took a moment before Shizune replied. "What happened?"

"You fell while we were tree-hoping yesterday," Tsunade lied. She sat up straighter as she spoke. "You hit your head pretty hard when you landed. There was some bruising and swelling, but you should feel fine in a hour or so."

"Oh . . . did we miss our current job?" Shizune asked in an apologetic tone.

For a moment Tsunade thought she was talking about Penyakit, but then she realized that wasn't it. They had been on their way to a job before and that was what Shizune was referring to.

Mentally sighing in relief, Tsunade relaxed back into her seat. "No, I carried you all the way there so we could make it on time."

Looking downward and away from Tsunade, Shizune apologized. "I'm sorry, Lady Tsunade." Her voice was quiet and full of guilt.

This made Tsunade a chill run up her spine. She quickly sat up straight and a pained looked crossed her face as she glanced at the girl. "_I do something wrong and she's the one that ends up apologizing._" A tear ran down her cheek, which was hastily whipped away.

Luckily, Shizune didn't see any of this because she was looking away.

Calming and collecting herself, Tsunade acted like nothing happen. Her tone was tough, but had a hint of care to it, as she said "Well, just don't let it happen again . . . Okay." Now while this may have seemed to be aimed at Shizune, it was actually for both of them.

"Yes, Lady Tsunade," Shizune happily replied. It seemed her false sense of guilt had been lifted.

Tsunade was silent as she nodded her head. "_Nothing like this will ever happen again. I'm sure of it._"

-Flashback End no Jutsu-

After sitting there for a while reliving the memory, the bottle was empty. Tsunade got up with the intention of getting another one. "_Maybe that saki_". By this time she was very drunk and staggering a little. Almost dropping the bottle and cup, she made it through the sliding door. Turning to the side, she saw the crib and getting more alcohol was forgotten. She very slowly started to walk over. The way she moved and acted, made it seem like she expected something horrible to be in the crib. When Tsunade was standing next to crib, she looked down. For just a second, an image of Murni flashed before her eyes. She flinched and took a step back. She dropped the bottle and glass, but luckily the carpet was soft enough that they didn't break. Her heart was beating a mile a minute as she took deep breaths. Closing her eyes, she thought "_That's in the past, it's not real._"

Looking down, she saw Naruto. The moonlight came through the sliding door and surrounded him almost like a spotlight. He was sound asleep on his side, facing away from her. He was also tightly hugging the plush slug to himself as he sucked on its eye.

It was a really depressing scene for Tsunade. She watched him for a while before thinking, "_He's probably dreaming, that is his mother and he is nursing._" For a moment, she pictured it. "_He should be doing that with his mother, not a plush surrogate._" She reached down and pulled the plush slug from him. The plush was place to the side of the crib. Naruto whined and fussed a little before settling back down.

Tsunade looked down at him again. All the plush animals were on the sides of the crib, leaving Naruto by himself.

"_He's all alone in this world._" Tsunade knew that Sarutobi would try to be there for Naruto, but all of his responsibilities would keep him too occupied. She thought of Kakashi and Itachi, but shook her head. "_They're shinobi and that life style will keep them busy. . . and even if they can find time, I bet the civilian consul will make sure they get more work,_" she thought bitterly. "_His live is going to be a living hell._"

Then an idea came to her. "_I could take him . . . just take him away and save him from all this._" She seriously thought about it for some time, going over the pros and cons. After a while, she decided against it. "_Sarutobi would never let me take Naruto away. I would have to get away from Kakashi, Itachi, and Sarutobi._" She pictured fighting the three of them. "_That would not be easy, but I could probably do it. . . . If I did get away, Sarutobi would send everything he could after us and I can't run forever._" Then something else occurred to her. She knew that Shizune would back her up over anything, but kidnapping a baby was pushing that loyalty a lot. "_Shizune would never stand for it, I would probably end up fighting her too._"

Tsunade felt desperation sink in. She really wanted to help Naruto, but she couldn't think of a way that would work. The situation was so upsetting and frustration that tears were in the corner of her eyes, but she held them back. She also felt anger for feeling so helpless.

Then Penyakit's voice ran through her mind, "_**I couldn't let my little Murni suffer, so I did what I had to do to protect her.**_" When Tsunade first heard this, she didn't get what the woman was talking about. She just thought the woman went off the deep end. At this moment, however, Tsunade was starting to understood what Penyakit's words meant.

"_Maybe . . . she was right,_" Tsunade reluctantly thought. "_Death may be preferable over a lifetime of loneliness and pain._" This shocking thought sobered her up a bit, but she was still very drunk.

Reaching into the crib, Tsunade started to move her hands towards the baby's neck. Her hair fell forward as if to shield Tsunade and Naruto from the world. Her eyes closed as a few tears escaped. The consequences of her actions didn't cross her mind at all. How Sarutobi would hunt her down and execute her or that Shizune would be left alone.

After what felt like an eternity, Tsunade's hands were finally around the infants neck. Just as she was about to clench and extinguish Naruto's life, she felt a small tug on her hair that made her stop. Opening her eyes, Tsunade saw that little Naruto was awake and staring up at her. She stayed still as Naruto looked at her as if he was searching her soul for something. This continued on for a few moments before the baby closed his eyes and smiled at her. Naruto then started to play with her hair, even going so far as to chew it with his toothless gums.

"_His smile . . . it's . . it's just like Nawaki's,_" Tsunade thought as her tears finally escaped and rained down onto Naruto. Feeling the drops of liquid, the baby stopped mouthing her hair and opened his eyes. Naruto then raised his hands and reached for Tsunade.

"_I can't do it,_" Tsunade thought as she moved her hands from Naruto's neck, placed them under his arms, and picked him up. Silently sobbing a bit, she tightly cradled him to her chest. "_I just can't kill him._" She wasn't able to decide why she couldn't. Either it was because he reminded her of her little brother or she couldn't deal with the physical and mental fallout. It didn't really matter because she finally realized that even though it might be a hard life, Naruto still deserved a chance to live it.

Now Naruto didn't really know what was going on at the moment, but what he did know was that he liked being held by this woman. It was so warm and he was so comfortable, that he was quickly back asleep.

When Tsunade finally calmed down, she looked down and saw that Naruto was asleep. She walked over to the couch and laid down with Naruto between her and back of the couch. For a while, she just watched him use her right upper-arm as a pillow to sleep on. They didn't need a blanket because Naruto was such a little Bunsen burner. As she draped her left arm over him, she couldn't help feeling better knowing that Naruto was safe in her arms. As her eyes closed, she made a heartfelt decision and promise. "Little Naruto, as long as you're with me, you will be safe and happy no matter what."


End file.
